According to Self, eating refined carbohydrates at night gets quickly converted to glucose. If you don’t need the excess glucose, your body stores it as fat. In other words, eating too many refined carbs at night can eventually lead to weight gain. However, you can opt for unrefined carbs to help fuel your recovery.
One consideration is the intensity and duration of your run. According to Runners Connect, an easy run at a recovery pace won’t put a strain on your glycogen stores, so you don’t have as much of a demand for carbs if you’re eating enough during the day. High-intensity runs, such as tempo runs or runs hitting your VO2 max, will burn more carbohydrates that will need to be replaced.
If your goal is to lose weight, Healthline suggests trying a beet salad, which is rich in nitrates that boost running performance. Watermelon can help you rehydrate after a run, and an omelet with vegetables gives you the protein and healthy carbs for recovery. You can pair carbs like carrots with healthy fats like hummus, or try apples with peanut butter. Try some Greek yogurt with fruit or oatmeal topped with nuts to give you some extra nutrition after your run.