post workout hotpot for sensitive tummies 🍲
eating high protein + high fiber to recover and get those gains!
Recovering from long runs with high protein meals that don't upset my stomach has been harder than I expected. The usual protein bowls that I’d find on socials and recreate were delicious initially, but I couldn’t keep it up. Eventually my gut would feel the consequences cuz I wasn’t getting enough fiber alongside all the good protein AND the protein bowls were dehydrating my internal systems more.
Because I approach eating healthy with Chinese medicinal principles, I knew I had to find an alternative way that would get me fiber, keep my hydrated, and simmer the protein so it’d be easier to digest. And what meal would be better at doing all the above than hot pot??!
Yes, hot pot doesn’t immediately sound like the go-to post workout recovery meal but hear me out. In Chinese medicine, how you cook your food matters just as much as what you eat. Broth hydrates from the inside out in a way that drinking a glass of water simply doesn’t. It carries nutrients directly into your system while soothing your gut at the same time. And protein that’s been gently simmered in broth? It’s already halfway broken down before your digestive system even has to do its job.
Hot pot also gets you to eat a ton of fiber without feeling like you’re a rabbit. Whatever vegetables you’re throwing in the pot, they’re softened, warm, and easy on a sensitive stomach.
After a long run, sitting down to a hot pot feels like a reward. Salad could never!! This is something warm, intentional, built to actually take care of you. Here’s how to make your own — serves 2.
Ingredients:
1/2 head of napa cabbage
1/2 kabocha squash, sliced thin
1 package of shimeji mushrooms
1 japanese green onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 handful of chrysanthemum greens, bok choy, spinach, or any other leafy green you prefer
5-8 wontons
1 package of japanese sesame nabe broth
1lb of thinly sliced protein (used pork loin here)
Instructions:
Slice the napa cabbage into 1 inch pieces, crosswise
Slice the kabocha squash into thin pieces so it cooks quickly
Cut the japanese green onion into 1 inch pieces, but you can also sub this by slicing up 4 green onions
Add the cabbage into the pot first to create a layer on the bottom, then place the kabocha squash, japanese green onion, mushrooms, protein, and wontons on top
Top off with the pre made nabe broth, then bring to a simmer
Let everything simmer for ~20 mins or until kabocha can be easily poked by a chopstick or fork
Enjoy with rice or noodles!