11. Donuts
An early morning runner may be tempted to stop for a couple of donuts on the way home. However, according to Jim White, RD, high-sugar, high-fat meals are among the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.
Your first goal after a workout should be getting some good food in your stomach so you can hit the gym again soon. The American Council on Exercise recommends eating some high-quality carbs after exercise to restore glycogen levels (ACE). However, fatty meals, such as doughnuts, might impede digestion and hinder the body’s capacity to convert carbohydrates into glycogen.
Instead, White recommends going for low-fat, fast-digesting carbohydrate options. Donuts aren’t the best choice to satisfy a sweet desire after a workout. Instead, try some porridge and a banana (or whatever fruit you prefer). If you have a hectic schedule and don’t have time to make anything to eat after your exercise, overnight oats are a great choice.
12. Fries
While a burger is great after a workout, it’s usually best to skip the fries (though it’s OK to indulge sometimes). Having a deep-fried meal may be rough on the digestive system and can give you stomach cramps. Therefore fries are the Worst Foods to Eat After a Workout.
Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RDN, CDN, founder of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table, says that fried foods are high in calories but low in nutrients, so eating them before a workout might make you feel tired instead than energetic.
Foods that take longer to digest might leave you feeling lethargic and unable to rapidly refill energy stores or feel full, according to Taub-Dix.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that eating greasy meals might exacerbate symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. Indulging in French fries after a workout might make reflux worse for those who are already prone to it.
Taub-Dix suggests substituting a baked potato with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for French fries. The simple carbohydrates in the baked potato will replace your glycogen stores, and the protein in the yogurt and cottage cheese will help you feel full for longer.