The Reset · Edition 10 · 9 July 2026
Real Food After You Move
What to eat after a workout when shakes feel like homework.
Photo: Lieana Slapinsh / Unsplash
If you only do one thing this week: eat a proper meal within an hour of finishing a session. Not a shake, not a handful of nuts over the sink — a real plate. Eggs on toast, leftover chicken with rice, yoghurt with fruit and a slice of sourdough. Real food does everything a shake does, and it tends to be more satisfying, more varied, and far easier to actually want.
The powder industry has done a brilliant job of making us feel underprepared without a scoop of something. But unless you are training twice a day or competing, whole food is more than adequate — and for most of us in Kensington & Chelsea, juggling school pick-ups between sessions, it fits the reality of our kitchens far better.
The one thing I do see go wrong is under-eating after training. Not maliciously — just the rush of the morning, the sense that the session is done so the job is done. It isn't. Your body is ready to receive something good. Don't make it wait.
So this week: cool-down properly (more on why below), then eat eggs. Three ways, all fast, all genuinely good.
The move — 5 minutes, no kit — the cool-down you skip
The last five minutes of any session are when your nervous system shifts from effort back to ease — rush them and you carry that unsettled, slightly jangled feeling into the rest of your day.
- 01Finish your last movement, then walk slowly on the spot for 90 seconds — just let the pace drop naturally, nothing deliberate.
- 02Stand tall, feet hip-width apart. Reach both arms overhead, interlace fingers, and lean gently to the right for 20 seconds. Repeat left. Feel the side of the ribcage open.
- 03Fold forward from the hips, knees soft, and hang for 30 seconds. Let your head go heavy. No bouncing, just gravity.
- 04Come to the floor. Lie on your back, draw both knees into your chest and rock gently side to side for 30 seconds — this is not optional.
- 05Finally, lie flat for one full minute. Arms a little away from your body. Eyes closed if you can. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in. That's the whole thing.
The plate
Eggs three ways — pick the one that suits the morning
One base idea, three real options depending on how much time and patience you have. All on something worth eating them on — good bread, warm flatbread, or yesterday's roasted veg.
- ·4 eggs (however you like them — see below)
- ·2 thick slices of sourdough, or 2 flatbreads, or a bowl of leftover roasted vegetables
- ·A small handful of fresh herbs — flat-leaf parsley, chives, or whatever is in the fridge
- ·Half an avocado, or a spoonful of labneh, or a few thin slices of good cheese
- ·Olive oil, salt, a pinch of chilli flakes or smoked paprika
The shortcut: Boil a batch of 4–6 eggs at the start of the week and keep them in their shells in the fridge — the soft-boiled version becomes a two-minute assembly rather than a recipe.
Where we eat
Daylesford Organic, Brompton Cross
Daylesford Organic at Brompton Cross is the kind of place that earns its reputation quietly. The produce is genuinely good — the sort of thing you notice because it tastes the way it should — and the room is calm enough that you can sit with a coffee and not feel hurried. It works for the whole family without any negotiation, which is rarer than it should be. Worth knowing about when Saturday morning calls for somewhere that feels considered rather than rushed.
76-82 Sloane Ave, Brompton Rd, London SW3 3DZ, UK · View on map →
The note
Under-eating after a session is one of the most common things I see, and it nearly always comes from good intentions. The session felt like enough; eating feels like undoing it. It isn't. Refuelling properly is part of the work — the part that makes tomorrow's session feel possible rather than like a fight. Keep it simple. Keep it real. Just eat something good.
Train with Barone
Sessions are 60 minutes, one-to-one, at home or in-studio — no gym membership required. The 20-session block works out at £110 a session and is where most clients land.
Book a session →Good to know
- What should you eat after a workout if you don't like protein shakes?
- Real food works just as well for most people — eggs on toast, Greek yoghurt with fruit, or leftover chicken and rice are all solid choices. The key is eating within about an hour of finishing, and making sure it includes both protein and something starchy.
- Is it important to eat after every workout, even a short one?
- If you've genuinely pushed yourself, yes — even a 30-minute Pilates or strength session is worth following with a proper meal rather than skipping food. Under-eating after training tends to leave you tired and hungrier later in the day.
- What do personal trainers in South Kensington (SW7) recommend for post-workout nutrition?
- At Barone Fitness in SW7, the advice is simple: eat real food you actually enjoy, soon after your session, rather than relying on supplements you have to force down. A well-made egg dish or a proper bowl of leftovers covers everything most people need.