First, you need to know about what is called the “golden hour”. It’s the 45 minutes to an hour directly after your workout that you need to eat. The reason eating within the golden hour is so important is because it is the time after your workout that your body will absorb the most nutrients. This golden hour is also when an energy reserve in your muscles called glycogens, is best replaced. After a work out, you will want to eat some easily digestible protein and carbohydrates. This would be whey protein and simple sugars like dextrose. Your muscles are most receptive to nutrients after a work out, for up to an hour, so the quicker protein and carbohydrates are digested, the better. Protein helps with repairing and growing muscle tissue, while the carbohydrates replace the muscle glycogen stores. You should eat foods that have protein. I personally make my own protein shake, it includes 2 cups of milk, 1 banana, 2 scoops of peanut butter, 1 raw egg, and a drop of honey for taste. It may sound nasty but its the best tasting thing. You blend all the ingedients together. You will end up getting about 40-45grams of natural protein. Specifically, post-workout nutrition for a weight lifting or bodybuilding diet should contain about 0.25 grams of protein per pound of your bodyweight. Your post-workout carbohydrate intake should be about 0.25-0.50 grams per pound of bodyweight (depending if/how much your diet is carb-restricted). Fat consumption is not required, but it's also not restricted; there is the myth that post workout fat intake will kill your gains because it slows the absorption of protein. However, this is unfounded hearsay, and any negative effects are negligible in the worst case scenario. The post workout meal can be consumed in the form of a shake or a solid meal. Shakes are often preferable because they're convenient; in addition, they are generally easier to consume if you are not hungry after a workout, or if you have any nausea (somewhat common after very intense lifting sessions). Source 1:Medical Inspiration-For doctors and Medical students: What food you should eat after you workout at the gym? Source 2:wiki.answers.com
