Getty Images/ Rob Hobson
- Popular workout snacks like protein bars and shakes are often ultra-processed.
- Nutritionist Rob Hobson works out most days but limits his intake of ultra-processed foods.
- He opts for high-protein premade snacks or home-cooked meals post-workout.
A nutritionist who works out six times a week changed his post-workout snacks after he decided to cut down on ultra-processed foods.
Before making the change, Rob Hobson, who is very active and hits the gym for an hour and 20 minutes most mornings, told Business Insider he ate a couple of protein bars a day and a protein shake as he left the gym because it was convenient.
"These things are probably as ultra-processed as you could possibly get," he said.
Now, he takes high-protein premade snacks to the gym or cooks a meal when he gets home because he can make something from scratch.
Hobson decided to eat fewer UPFs after reading a book about the potential health risks. He realized that although his diet was nutritionally dense, much of it was ultra-processed.
UPFs typically contain five or more ingredients, including things you wouldn't find in a domestic kitchen, and are made using industrial processes. They usually have a long shelf life, come in highly marketed packaging, and are made to be ultra-palatable, Hobson previously told BI.
These foods, which make up around 73% of the US food supply — according to a 2024 research paper by Northeastern University's Network Science Institute, which hasn't been peer-reviewed — have been linked to health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
"I'm sure in my life I will eat another protein bar if that's all that's available. It's just I think there are better things to choose," he said.
Hobson shared how he chooses post-workout snacks while limiting UPFs.
Make a balanced meal at home
Hobson eats protein with every meal, and although he personally likes to have some within an hour of training if possible, he stressed that eating enough protein throughout the day matters more than when you eat it.
Registered dietitian and personal trainer Alix Turoff previously told BI it was widely thought that eating protein straight after a workout was essential for muscle growth and repair, but new research has disproved this idea.
If he has time, Hobson will go home straight after the gym and make himself a meal. His go-to is eggs.
He is also a big fan of batch cooking, which makes it easier for him to eat a high-protein meal after working out. Sometimes he adds a protein source to a batch of salad containing cooked grains, or snacks on cooked chicken.
Have a minimally processed protein shake
On days when he can't make it home after the gym, Hobson will have a simple protein shake made with whey protein. He looks for a powder that doesn't have bulking agents and fillers and is not flavored or artificially sweetened.
"I might sometimes prepare it at home with a bit of cocoa powder in rather than something that's a bit artificially sweetened," he said.
When he is able to make it home but needs to rush out, he makes a protein shake using almost exclusively whole-food ingredients.
"So that would be banana, nut butter, some milk, avocado, and some fruits and berries," he said.
Meal-prepping high-protein snacks
Hobson said he always keeps some snacks in his gym bag, and if you're a little organized, it's easy to meal-prep some that are high-protein.
He said hard-boiled eggs and cheese sticks are good, minimally processed snacks. You could also buy frozen edamame beans, decant them into small bags, and put them in the fridge with a dash of soy sauce or roast some chickpeas to eat after a workout session.
If you want something more shelf-stable, you can keep some bags of nuts and seeds in your bag to have on hand whenever you need, he said.