How to Eat Healthy the Day You Rest From Exercise

Stock up on vegetables to eat on your day off from the gym.

Every exercise program should include regular rest days, occurring approximately every seven to 10 days. Overdoing your workouts can lead to mental fatigue, decreased performance, interrupted sleep, muscle and joint pain and injury or infection. A rest day doesn't mean you are chained to the couch; however, you should avoid formal, intense exercise. On your day off from exercise, you will inevitably burn fewer calories than on workout days. To prevent weight gain and keep energy levels high for your next gym session, eat healthfully on your rest day.

Instructions

1. Start your day with a healthy breakfast to curb hunger later in the day. Your meal should combine high-fiber carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats. Examples include yogurt with fruit and shredded wheat, 100 percent whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and an apple or oatmeal with cottage cheese and almonds. A study published in the April 2013 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found a high-protein breakfast curbed unhealthy snacking later in the day.

2. Eat every three to four hours to prevent excessive hunger from setting in. Do not skip meals to save calories, which only sets you up to make bad choices and potentially binge later due to hunger. Choose nutrient-rich snacks like 1 ounce of nuts, fresh fruit or cut veggies with 2 tablespoons of hummus.

3. Skip energy foods on days you don't exercise. Energy bars and sports drinks may have a place on endurance workout days, but only pad your diet with extra sugar and calories when you are not exercising.

4. Monitor portion sizes. Stick to 3 ounces of lean protein and 1/2 to 1 cup of whole grains at meal time. Be liberal with leafy greens and steamed veggies to boost the nutritional value of your meal without adding extra calories.

5. Eat healthy unsaturated omega-3 fats, such as a tablespoon of olive oil, an ounce of nuts, 1/4 of an avocado or 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, at most meals to increase feelings of satisfaction and provide your body with essential fats that contribute to nutrient absorption and muscle recovery. Skip items with saturated fat and all trans fats, which add calories and do not contribute to good health.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do eat poorly on a day off from exercise, it will most likely not result in significant weight gain or nutritional deficiencies. The overall health of your diet is measured over the course of days, not hours. Get back on track immediately the next day with exercise and healthy eating, and the effects of your "cheat day" will be minimal.

• Starving yourself on days can negatively impact your next workout. Continue to eat an appropriate number of calories for your body so you have energy.

References

• The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Beneficial Effects of a Higher-Protein Breakfast on the Appetitive, Hormonal, and Neural Signals Controlling Energy Intake Regulation in Overweight/Obese, “Breakfast-Skipping,” Late-Adolescent Girls
• Shape: 9 Reasons to Skip Your Workout... Sometimes
• U.S. News and World Report: Stop the Excuses: Eat Breakfast
• Bodybuilding.com: Using Fats to Aid Recovery and Build Muscle