Post-Workout Recovery and Paleo Snacks
There are a lot of different opinions out there, so you'll need to find what works best for you. Let's start with your main priority? Before you can reach optimal performance, you'll need to reach optimal health. With that in mind, maybe your #1 priority is to focus on gut health or blood sugar issues, or you just need to lose body fat (by the way, excess abdominal fat is a often a sign of insulin resistance). Also, you need to consider your output. Are you recovering from a 2-hour trail run or a CrossFit WOD? These would have different requirements, particularly when you consider your goals. For the purpose of this post, we'll assume you're doing CrossFit — some strength training and a high-intensity metcon for 5-20 mins.
Fat Lost and Improved Insulin Sensitivity
This seems to be the goal of 80-90% of everyone doing the Clean Challenge, so we'll start here. In this case, you want to maintain and restore muscle while improving insulin sensitivity (which helps us lean out). Your recovery meal/snack should include protein, some carbs and a little fat.
Carb intake can negatively impede fat burning by giving the body glucose instead of making it burn fat, so you want to moderate your carb intake and find the right balance. You may want to add in a few more carbs if you've just completed a 20-minute, all-out killer metcon or a 90-minute trail run. Too much fat will inhibit the uptake of the other nutrients and too many carbs will negate the insulin sensitivity benefits you've just received from your workout. One fact that is not controversial - protein is key because you need that within 30-60 minutes post-workout to restore muscle tissue.
Play with this and see how you feel. Are you sore the next day? Were you absolutely starving three hours after your workout despite eating a healthy meal with a mix of protein, fat and healthy carbs? If your goal is fat loss, then most would argue that you want to get away with fewer carbs. That being said, if you go too far, you will be sabotaging your efforts. If you're too sore, you won't want to workout, and if you're absolutely starving, you'll probably eat something impulsively that you really shouldn't.
To summarize, if you're trying to lose body fat or improve blood sugar issues, you should follow your workouts with protein, some carbs and a little bit of fat. Too much fat post-workout will inhibit the protein absorption and too many carbs will create an insulin spike. Real food is best and you need to eat it within that 30-60 minute window (the sooner the better).
Build Muscle Mass
If your goal is to win the CrossFit Games or increase you lean muscle mass by 10%, then you'll want to replenish not only damaged muscle tissue, but you'll also want to restore your glycogen stores that fire intense activity. Given your heightened insulin sensitivity following your workout, this is the perfect time to eat those carbs without a huge hit of insulin. How many carbs will depend on your body.
One thing to note, is that if you're planning for a second WOD or a long bike ride or run later in the day, then you would need to eat carbs post workout to more quickly restore glycogen stores and get you ready for that second workout.
SNACK SUGGESTIONS
Protein
Grass-fed jerky
Packets or easy-open cans of water-packed tuna, salmon and sardines
Pre-cooked frozen shrimp (easy to thaw under running water)
Pre-cooked steak or chicken sliced into easy strips
Nitrate-free sliced turkey
Hard boiled eggs
Meatballs made from pastured turkey, beef, lamb, etc.
Fuel for fire – mixed carbs and protein
Whey protein
Carbs
Pre-cooked sweet potatoes and squash (baked, roasted, cut into chips and roasted, etc.)
Carrot sticks
Dark chocolate – in moderation, because too much chocolate can inhibit your magnesium uptake
Veggies – salad, cucumbers, peppers, celery, radishes (these veggies are pretty low in carbs)
Fresh fruit – not the best option given that excessive fructose overloads the liver (general consensus would be to eat berries, apples, pears, melons)
Fuel for fire – mixed carbs and protein
Fats*
Unsweetened coconut chips/flakes
Avocado
Raw coconut meat
Coconut oil
Olives
Trail mix – make your own with coconut flakes and nuts (in moderation, see above)
*A Note on Fat
While it's not optimal to eat a ton of fat post-workout, you should be sure to include plenty of healthy fats in your diet, because it's very satiating and takes longer for your body to convert into energy. For more on fat check out this article from Mark Sisson.
Before you can reach optimal performance, you need to reach optimal health. With that in mind, our #1 priorities - as athletes, but also as regular people - should be to focus on gut health, blood sugar levels, and our level of visceral fat.