Scrolling through Instagram, we often come across perfectly decorated porridges that inspire us to rush into the kitchen and create something similarly perfect. Despite following the instructions to a tee, our creations often fall short of Instagram perfection. Moreover, with a training session looming, we sometimes find that the porridge leaves us feeling too heavy to perform at our best. So, how do you make the perfect pre‑workout and post‑workout porridge?
Porridge is not boring! Welcome to a nutriously valuable and fun meal
Porridge is intrinsically linked to a healthy lifestyle for many of us. Its wide use and quick preparation time make it a favourite for anyone pressed for time. The bonus of this quick treat is its versatility; it can be completely different every time and never gets boring, much like chicken breast with rice (and broccoli, if we get fancy!). But nutrition doesn't have to be boring—we eat with our eyes too.
Each of us has a slightly different metabolism, so changing your pre‑workout meal routine can sometimes make you feel unprepared for the workout ahead. Simply swapping a banana for a nutritionally valuable porridge may not always be the best option if you don't know how to do it right. But we're here to help you with that.
How to make pre‑workout porridge?
Before a workout, it's essential to consume a meal that won't overly strain our digestive system and will quickly provide nutrients to our working muscles. So, what's on offer? A great option is rice porridge, which contains less fibre than oatmeal, allowing it to digest faster.
Adding easily digestible fruit, protein (to protect muscles during training) and honey to flavour the porridge will conjure up a quality pre‑workout meal.
When to have a pre‑workout porridge?
- As a quick breakfast before your morning workout. The timing of your workout is personal, as the best recommendation is to observe your body's response. Generally, it is advisable to consume pre‑workout porridge at least an hour before training.
- Anytime during the day as a pre‑workout meal. This can serve as a snack, ideally 2.5 to 3 hours after your last meal. For example, if you have lunch at 12 PM and plan to train between 4 and 5 PM, you can have porridge between 2 and 3 PM.
Ingredients:
- 60g instant rice meal
- water
- 1 scoop of whey protein
- fruit
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions:
- Pour the rice porridge into a bowl and add water until it covers the porridge by about 1 cm. Stir to mix.
- Place in the microwave for 1 minute until a thick porridge forms.
- Add a scoop of your favourite protein and stir thoroughly into the porridge.
- Sweeten with a teaspoon of honey and garnish the porridge with fruit.
If you still don't feel like exercising after this recipe, try increasing the time between meals and workouts or reducing the amount of rice cereal.
How to make post‑workout porridge?
Post‑workout nutrition is crucial for quality nutrient replenishment, faster recovery, and promoting muscle hypertrophy. We use oats and forest fruits, full of natural antioxidants, to start glycogen regeneration. We further increase the protein content by adding protein powder and beaten egg white, which will make the porridge beautifully fluffy.
The resulting flavour is brought to perfection with the addition of delicious peanut butter. Oatmeal also contains soluble fibre in the form of beta‑glucans, which positively affect our immunity and help nourish our gut bacteria (microbiome).
When to have post‑workout porridge?
- After a workout, it's beneficial to take your favourite creatine along with a dose of protein drink. About an hour and a half to two hours later, you can have a solid meal, such as post‑workout porridge, which will provide the body with all the necessary nutrients. It doesn't matter that oatmeal contains a higher proportion of fibre.
- If post‑workout porridge is the first meal after training, we should have it ASAP, otherwise, it will delay the recovery processes and stimulate muscle proteosynthesis (stimulate muscle growth), which we probably don't want. If you have two‑phase workouts and need the fastest possible recovery, use rice flakes instead of oatmeal, as in the pre‑workout porridge, because rice flakes digest faster. The goal is to quickly start glycogen regeneration to ensure you have energy for your next workout, allowing for a quality training session instead of just wandering around the gym.
Ingredients:
- 60g of instant oats (or its gluten‑free variant)
- water/milk
- 1 scoop of whey protein
- fruit
- nut butter
Instructions:
- Pour the oatmeal into a pot and cover it with water or milk so that the level is about 1 cm above the oats. Cook over low heat for three minutes.
- Remove the porridge from the heat and stir in your favourite protein powder.
- Garnish with fruit and nuts and don't forget the most important thing—a good spoonful of peanut butter!