What to Eat After a Workout to Build Muscle?

A meal or snack with about 20 to 40 g of protein and some carbohydrates. The protein supports muscle repair and growth, and the carbs refill the glycogen your muscles burned. If you train again within a few hours, carbs matter more; if your next session is tomorrow, your total food for the day matters most.

There's no single perfect post-workout food, and the "eat within 30 minutes" rule is looser than it sounds. Here's what to put on your plate, how much, when timing actually matters, and some easy meal ideas.

How Much Protein Should You Eat After a Workout?

About 20 to 40 g, or roughly 0.25 g per kg of body weight. Bigger lifters and anyone who trained their whole body that session can aim for the top of that range. Across the day, most people who lift do well on 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein for every kilogram they weigh.

Those figures come from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on protein, which recommends spreading protein into servings of 20 to 40 g every three to four hours. For an 80 kg (176 lb) lifter, that's a post-workout serving of roughly 20 to 30 g at the low end and up to 40 g after big sessions.

Good sources include chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lean beef, tofu and protein shakes. Mixing plant and animal sources across the day is fine, as long as the total adds up.

How Many Carbs Do You Need After a Workout?

It depends on when you train next. If you have a day or more before your next hard session, your normal meals will refill your glycogen, so a moderate serving of carbs is plenty. If you're training again within about four hours, eat carbs quickly and generously to restore glycogen in time.

The ISSN position stand on nutrient timing recommends about 1.2 g of carbs per kg each hour for rapid refueling when recovery time is under four hours. It also lists an alternative that adds protein to the mix: about 0.8 g of carbs plus 0.2 to 0.4 g of protein per kg each hour. That approach suits people who'd rather not eat large amounts of carbs at once.

Your situation	Post-workout carbs
Next hard session tomorrow or later	A normal portion with your meal
Training again within about 4 hours	Generous and fast: about 1.2 g/kg each hour
Trying to lose fat	A modest portion that fits your daily calorie target

A 2018 review in Nutrients agreed that carbohydrate intake is the main factor in refilling glycogen during short recovery windows.

How Soon After a Workout Should You Eat?

Within a few hours is fine for most people. In a 10-week trial, protein taken right before training worked just as well as protein right after. The exception is when you trained on an empty stomach or haven't eaten for many hours; then eating soon after the session makes more sense.

That 2017 randomized trial in PeerJ concluded the window for protein may be "as wide as several hours or perhaps more," depending on when you last ate. A 2013 meta-analysis found total daily protein, not timing, was the strongest predictor of muscle growth.

Our guide on protein before or after a workout covers the timing research in more detail.

What Are Good Meals to Eat After a Workout?

Any meal with a solid protein source, some carbs, and vegetables or fruit works. Choose based on your schedule and appetite: a full meal if you have time, or a quick shake and a piece of fruit if you don't. Here are some easy options, each with roughly 25 to 40 g of protein.

Meal	Why it works
Chicken, rice and vegetables	Classic mix of protein, carbs and fiber
Greek yogurt with fruit and oats	Quick, high protein, easy to digest
Eggs and toast with fruit	Fast to make, works as a morning meal
Salmon, potatoes and greens	Protein, carbs and healthy fats
Protein shake and a banana	Good when you're short on time or not hungry
Tofu stir-fry with noodles	Plant-based option with carbs

The exact protein depends on portion sizes, so check labels or weigh portions if you're tracking. Our guide on protein shakes for muscle recovery explains when a shake is worth it.

Is It OK to Have Fat in a Post-Workout Meal?

Yes, in normal amounts. Fat slows digestion, which has led to advice to avoid it after training. But for most people, whose next session is a day away, that doesn't matter. A meal with some fat, like salmon or eggs, is perfectly good after a workout. Just keep it moderate if you need fast refueling.

The ISSN's guidance on rapid recovery focuses on carbs and protein, and only matters when you train again within hours. For everyone else, a balanced meal is the goal.

If fat loss is your aim, fat and carbs both count toward your total calories. Our guide on how to lose fat and gain muscle covers the calorie side.

What Should You Drink After a Workout?

Water to replace what you sweated out, and anything else that helps you hit your protein and carb targets. Milk is a good option, since it has both. If you take creatine, after training is a convenient time to have it with food. Coffee is fine too. In a 2014 trial in PLOS ONE, regular coffee drinkers stayed just as hydrated on four cups a day as on the same amount of water, so your post-workout coffee counts toward your fluids.

The ISSN position stand on creatine notes that taking creatine with carbs or protein appears to increase muscle uptake. Our guide on what to mix creatine with compares drink options.

The ISSN's nutrient timing stand also lists caffeine, at 3 to 8 mg per kg, as one way to speed up glycogen refilling when recovery time is short. Iron Coffee has 200 mg of caffeine and 5 g of creatine per serving.