Did you know that March is National Athletic Training Month? It’s a great time to focus on athletic recovery and how nutrition plays a role in that. What you eat as you recover from a hard workout or an intense game can really make a difference in your body’s return to normalcy. Here are five foods that can help:

Oatmeal

Oatmeal isn’t just a great option for breakfast. Eat it any time of the day as a great athletic recovery food. Oatmeal provides plenty of healthy carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and iron. These nutrients help your body get back the energy lost from your athletic output so that you can keep going.

Bananas

Bananas are a great source of potassium and magnesium. There can more than 400mg in one medium-sized banana! Plus, bananas are naturally portable, so they’re ultra-convenient as a post-workout or post-game snack. Try topping your banana with a bit of peanut butter for an extra protein boost.

Tuna

Tuna fish provides you with protein, omega-3 fatty acids to help combat inflammation around the body, and vitamins like B6 and B12. That’s a lot of benefits packed into one food! And your body will reap these benefits whether you choose fresh or canned tuna fish. Whether it’s a tuna salad sandwich or a baked tuna cake, this easy-to-eat fish makes for a great athletic recovery food.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans might not be the first thing you think of when you think of a post-workout snack. But they’re great for this purpose. They’re a good source of protein, plus they provide plenty of vitamins and minerals to help support your body’s natural recovery. Consider eating kidney beans as part of a fruit salad, or a piping hot bowl of chili. Delicious and nutritious!

Spinach

Don’t forget your vegetables. Spinach provides you with vitamins A and K, as well as folate. These essential nutrients help your body recover better and faster when it’s pushed to its limits. And spinach is easy to toss onto salads or sandwiches, so it’s simple to include it in your recovery period.

Recover Faster With Great Nutrition

Try supporting your next recovery period with the foods listed above. Get creative with incorporating them into your diet and see how much better you feel!