Football players would no sooner skip pre-workout carbs than dash out the door barefoot. But when the weight lifting is done, those same football athletes might not think much at all about what they eat, as long as they get something. food delivers the nutrients your body needs to repair itself, making smart eating crucial to a strong body and a speedy recovery.

A combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals helps your body heal microtears from exercise and overused tendons and sprained ligaments. All parts of the body need food after a tough football workout!

Over time, if cells don't get the nutrients they need, muscles and connective tissues can weaken, leaving them more susceptible to injury. So along with stretching, and icing if you need it, these healing foods will help you get back in the gym or on the field as quickly as possible.

Below is a quick list of some of the best foods to eat.

Red Bell Pepper

Just one red bell pepper provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. By contributing to the formation of collagen, an important protein used to build scar tissue, blood vessels, and even new bone cells, vitamin C facilitates the healing process.

Runners-up: papaya, cantaloupe, oranges

Salmon

Salmon's nutritional benefits have been much touted for good reason. Fresh or canned, salmon delivers two powerful healing nutrients: protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Protein does more than rebuild muscle after a grueling run; it also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons.

Many nutritionalists recommend all football players eat protein at every meal; injured athletes should aim for four to five servings a day, from low-fat sources like egg whites and lean turkey. Salmon, with two grams of essential fatty acids per four-ounce serving, is doubly valuable. Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation.

Inflammation occurs when waste matter generated by the body's repair efforts builds up around the injury, inhibiting healing. Omega-3s help disperse that buildup, making them useful in addressing everything from sore muscles to stress fractures.

Runners-up: mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts

Carrots

Eat carrots for a potent dose of vitamin A: a half-cup serving provides 340 percent of your Daily Value. This nutrient helps make white blood cells for fighting infection. You might not think infection is likely with tendinitis, but your body takes no chances and activates the immune system, which ups vitamin A demand. Vitamin A also helps repair postworkout microtears, so it's a valuable ally every day.

Runners-up: sweet potatoes, dried apricots, spinach

Fortified Cereals

Zinc is an important healing agent, but foods highest in zinc, like red meats, often contain saturated fat, which aggravates inflammation. So when the body is taxed-from exertion or injury runners should reach for fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, which can deliver as much as 100 percent of the Daily Value for zinc. By itself, zinc doesn't repair damaged tissue, but it assists the proteins and fats that do. Be careful not to get to much! Too much of this potent mineral lowers HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and actually suppresses your immune system.

Runners-up: shellfish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds

Almonds

Just one ounce of almonds (roughly 20) contains more than 40 percent of your Daily Value of vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system by neutralizing free radicals. Almonds, like hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, also supply beneficial mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are key building blocks for healthy cells.

Runners-up: nut butters, avocados, vegetable oils

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