Within an hour of your workout - Quick digesting nutrients are what you need. Yogurt, a protein shake, and fruit like a banana or an orange. Having an item or two for energy towards the end of your workout could include meat, potatoes, and whole-grain bread. Add some salt to keep yourself hydrated during the workout

During your workout - Candy and liquids with dextrose as a main ingredient are beneficial to maintain energy levels during your workout. Eating these snacks about 10-20 minutes after starting your workout/during your first exercise will allow your body time (30 minutes) to digest the snacks and give you the energy boost to finish strong. Snacks that contain this ingredient include: Gummy bears, Peanut M&Ms, Hersey dark chocolate, rice krispie treat, honey, drinks with sugar like Gatorade, cranberry juice, dried fruits like dried apricots & raisins, and other preserved/processed foods

After your workout - The main thing to remember and the nutrient your body is craving the most after an intense workout is protein. Having a smaller amount of carbs is good to give your body a more immediate source of energy after your workout, but to repair/build muscle, good lean protein will be put to work. Examples of post workout foods include: Eggs, low fat dairy, whey protein shakes, lean meat (ground turkey, chicken, lean cuts of beef, and fish), starchy foods like white/sweet potatoes, corn, green peas, squash

Remember to keep dietary fat low because it slows down digestion, which in turn slows down the rate that proteins can help your muscles grow. For example, choose low-fat milk for your protein shake over 2% milk.