Can I Eat Nuts And Broccoli After Working Out?

Although working out can improve your fitness, build muscle and burn fat, eating the wrong foods after your workout could counteract your efforts. Broccoli and nuts have a number of beneficial nutrients for everyday health, but the two may be inappropriate for a post-workout meal. Note that all meals, not just those consumed after workouts, influence your results, so no single meal will spoil your physique.

High Fat Content

Although broccoli is fat-free, 1 oz. of nuts contains 14.6 g of total fat. Although some fat can be beneficial -- your body needs fat to absorb certain vitamins, and it can promote feelings of fullness -- fat isn't an optimal nutrient for a post-workout meal. Nutrition researcher Dr. John Berardi says that too much fat can slow the absorption of nutrients and interfere with recovery, so post-workout foods should be as low in fat as possible.

Low Carbohydrate Content

Nuts and broccoli are both low in carbohydrates. Two cups of broccoli and 1 oz. of nuts provide just 15 g of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are effective for pre-workout meals, as they provide you with energy, but you also need them after workouts. Research conducted at the Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands and published in the December 2010 issue of the "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" notes that post-workout carbohydrates are vital to muscle-glycogen synthesis, a process important for muscle recovery.

Low Protein Content

Protein supplies your body with the amino acids it needs to build muscle and other tissues, so consuming protein is important after workouts. Two cups of broccoli and 1 oz. of nuts provide only 9 g of protein, just 1 g more than a cup of milk. Consume 20 g of protein after exercise for optimal muscle recovery.

Protein Type

In addition to being low in protein, nuts and broccoli do not contain any dairy protein. According to research conducted at the University of Jyraskyla in Finland and published in the June 2010 edition of "Nutrition & Metabolism," dairy proteins are the most effective nutrients for exercise recovery and muscle growth.

High Vitamin C

Although vitamin C can be beneficial for overall health, consuming foods rich in this vitamin after exercise can be detrimental. Two cups of broccoli contain the entire daily suggested intake of vitamin C, which may interfere with your recovery. Consuming vitamin C after workouts can delay muscle recovery, according to a study conducted at the Liverpool John Moores University in England and published in the May 2006 issue of "The British Journal of Nutrition."