Why Porridge Is the Perfect Meal for Your Fitness Goals

One of the most common questions that athletes ask is what they should eat before and after training. Of course, there are a lot of different options, but one meal always works and supports you in achieving your fitness goals. Your grandma knows all about it. We’re talking about porridge.

Read more: 6 Tips for Recovery Nutrition.

What Makes Porridge an Absolute Fitness Food?

The English word porridge means oatmeal, and oats are known to be a real nutrient bomb. Oatmeal is rich in fiber, which promotes gut health, and provides polyunsaturated fatty acids. As well as being a good source of carbohydrates, it has about 13 g of protein per 100 g. What is special about protein from oatmeal is that it consists almost exclusively of essential amino acids. Your body can’t make this type of amino acids on its own, so you need to get them from your food. Animal products always contain all the essential amino acids. The situation is quite different with vegan foods, where you usually have to combine different protein sources to obtain a complete amino acid profile. This is particularly important for athletes, as you need essential amino acids to build muscle because your body needs them for muscle protein synthesis.

On top of that, porridge is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and vitamins B1 and B5. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, among other things, while iron supports the normal function of the immune system. All are important factors for a healthy and efficient body.

Porridge Before Training for More Energy

Carbohydrates are the number 1 source of energy for your body, and that’s why you should eat a carbohydrate-rich meal that’s easy to digest before your workout. Porridge is rich in carbohydrates, is easy to digest, is low in gluten compared to other cereals, and is an ideal meal before exercise. A banana or other fruit not only tastes good as a topping on porridge, but also provides even more vitamins, as well as readily available carbohydrates.

How Porridge Boosts Your Recovery

After training, you’re advised to eat a balanced meal that includes complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. An intense workout can lead to depletion of muscles and glycogen stores in skeletal muscle. Carbohydrates help replenish those stores and restore normal muscle function. In addition to complex carbohydrates, porridge provides important vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which your body needs after exercise as well.

Eating protein after training supports muscle building and kickstarts muscle protein synthesis. To increase the protein content of your porridge, we recommend simply stirring in 30 g of Whey Protein or Vegan Protein for an additional 24 g of high-quality protein. Don’t forget healthy fats either, as they help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins. To add some extra healthy fats to your porridge, try topping it with some walnuts, chia seeds, almonds or peanut butter.

Got a hankering for porridge? Find our favorite recipes here. Bon appetit!

The Best Porridge Recipes

Chocolate Protein Porridge With Figs

We like our protein porridge to be particularly chocolaty, but don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten our helping of fruit and vegetables. Finely grated zucchini is the secret ingredient in our porridge, and the creamy breakfast is topped with fresh figs – a real treat for the cold season.

Hearty Oats With Miso Mushrooms, Eggs, and Spinach

When it comes to porridge, you can never go wrong with hearty rolled oats. Oat risotto may sound unusual, but you should definitely give it a go; the flavor will win you over! Stir in some of our neutral whey protein at the end to make the oats extra creamy and protein rich.

Blueberry Protein Porridge

A handful of blueberries adds color and a lot of good nutrients to your bowl. This porridge saves on time, has no added sugar, and gives your body what it needs before a workout.

Creamy Chocolate Protein Porridge

Our chocolate coconut porridge doesn’t just taste heavenly sweet and beautifully fruity, it also looks really pretty because it allows you to enjoy this breakfast classic in a two-tone aesthetic. And as if that wasn’t enough, we top it all off with homemade coconut & cashew chocolates – healthy, nutritious, and absolutely delicious!

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Sources for this article

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