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Paleo Recipes for Athletes

Fueling your body with the right nutrients is essential for peak athletic performance and recovery. Whether you’re training for a competition, pushing your limits at the gym, or simply maintaining an active lifestyle, The Paleo Diet offers a natural approach to nourishment. Below, find recipes, tips, and tricks when living Paleo and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Athlete-Nutrient-Timing-Fueling-with-Water-in-Gym-After-Workout

Timing Your Nutrient Intake

See our tips on when and how to time your nutrient intake, whether it’s before, during, or after a workout.

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What To Eat Before a Workout

Highly processed sports nutrition food products are unhealthy fuel. Energize yourself naturally with these Paleo recipes for athletes that contain some carbs, proteins, healthy fats, and caffeine.

Avocado Sweet Potato Toast

No-Bake Carrot Cake Energy Balls in a bowl, finished.

No-Bake Carrot Cake Energy Balls

Yerba Maté energy drink finished in a glass.

Lemon-Strawberry Yerba Maté Energy Drink

Pineapple Power Smoothie

Baked Scotch Eggs cut open on a plate

Baked Scotch Eggs

Steak breakfast burrito finished.

Chimichurri Steak Breakfast Burrito

plated kids energy balls

Date and Almond Energy Balls 

Two cacao reishi lattes in glasses ready to drink.

Cacao Reishi Latte

Above shot of sweet potato breakfast boats

Sweet Potato Breakfast Boats

Finished avocado smoothie next to a pair of bananas

Avocado Smoothie

Veggie breakfast burrito finished with toppings and sides.

Veggie Breakfast Burrito

Chicken Chips in a bowl with guacamole.

Paleo Chicken Chips

Western omelet finished on a table with grapes and avocado.

Western Omelet

Coffee Alternatives That Still Get You Going

Early morning workouts can be hard to show up for without a boost from coffee, but some people are sensitive to its effects. Explore caffeinated (and non-caffeinated) alternatives that can still provide you with the energy you need going into your workout.

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four different tea types in a row

What To Eat During a Workout

For training sessions longer than an hour and a half, you'll need to replenish your energy. While whole foods like bananas or a baked sweet potato wrapped in foil may satiate you, it's good to rotate through different fuels and find what works for you.

Mid-Workout Energy Bars

Strawberry-Lemonade Homemade Electrolyte Drink from above

Homemade Electrolyte Drink: Strawberry-Lemonade

Sweet Potato & Kale Egg Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Date Balls

homemade fruit roll ups recipe

Mango-Blueberry Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups

Paleo Nut Bar finished in a basket

Paleo Grain-Free Nut Bar

Raspberry-thyme fruit roll-ups finished_birdseye view

Raspberry-Thyme Fruit Roll-Ups

plated kids energy balls

Date and Almond Energy Balls 

Protein bars finished on the tray

Vegan Protein Bars 

Grabbing fruit roll ups laid out on table

Blackberry-Rhubarb Fruit Roll-Up 

The Importance of Proper Hydration

You lose essential minerals when you sweat, and the more you sweat or the longer your workout is, the greater the need to replenish these minerals. Explore our suggestions for electrolyte beverages and how to hydrate during a sweat session.
Woman enjoying a lemon and mint leaf water.
The 10 Best Natural Electrolyte Drinks for Everyday Hydration
female cyclist holding water bottle on her bike
Are You Getting Enough Electrolytes When Training?
A woman in running shoes and related running gear drinks water on a step.
Hydration for Athletes: Should You Drink When Thirsty or on a Schedule?

What To Eat After a Workout

Replenishing those tired muscles after a hard workout is super important—and often overlooked. Experts recommend eating 30-60 minutes after a workout for optimal recovery. Power through post-exercise fatigue and whip together one of these easy recovery recipes.

Protein-Packed Breakfast Casserole

A small glass desert bowl filled with raspberries and pomegranate raspberry gummies, with three raspberries and one gummy on the white marble table next to the glass.

PaleoFLEX™ Pomegranate Raspberry Recovery Gummies

Vegan protein shake next to weights at the gym.

Vegan Protein Smoothie

Ground beef protein bowl finished.

Ground Beef Protein Bowls

A mason jar full of pumpkin pie smoothie with a silver metal straw, garnished with chopped pecans and surrounded by a large white bowl of fruit, two bananas and some carrots.

Pumpkin Pie Recovery Smoothie

PaleoFLEX™ Chocolate Energy Balls

Ginger Spinach Smoothie

Bombay curry chicken salad in a single bowl, plated.

Bombay Curry Chicken Salad

Baked sweet potatoes plated.

Baked Sweet Potato

Protein packed mushroom frittata with fresh thyme plated with a fork.

Mushroom Frittata with Fresh Thyme

Roasted Cornish Hens in a baking dish.

Roasted Cornish Hens

Blazing Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

Glass of beet juice held against a grey background.

Beet Juice with Lemon, Apple, and Ginger 

Fully cooked Lion's Mane Steak on a plate

Lion’s Mane Steak

Orange poached halibut finished, close up.

Orange Poached Halibut

An athlete rests on the bleachers while eating an apple

Sample Menu for Endurance Athletes

Still looking for more Paleo fuel inspiration? Check out these sample menus designed for runners, cyclists, and other endurance athletes with fueling suggestions for two-a-day workout days or what to eat on a recovery day.

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The Paleo Diet for Athletes

An Athlete's Guide to The Paleo Diet

Find more than 80 athlete-focused Paleo recipes and more in The Paleo Diet for Athletes by the founder of The Paleo Diet, Loren Cordain, and endurance sports coach Joe Friel.

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