Bonking hard after 5k workouts. Thrifty nutrition tips?

first off, why are you doing 5k plus a day? are you training for race around manhatten? english channel? catalina swim? I enjoy long open water distances and I'm doing a 10k race series this summer. I just like swimming for long periods of time. :)

What does your general diet look like overall? I would suspect at $10/day and swimming 5k a day you probably just aren't getting enough calories, period. And probably not enough protein as a subset of that. If spending some more to eat more isn't really an option, whole milk is a good choice. I'm tracking my macros and typically hitting them at 50/30/20 Carb/fat/protein for 2500 cal/day at 145lbs I think I'm doing pretty good. I eat a lot of brown rice, rolled oats, beans, fish, and veg. My big workouts are 5-6k about twice a week and 3.5-4 the other two days.

first off, why are you doing 5k plus a day? are you training for race around manhatten? english channel? catalina swim? I'm doing a 10k race series this summer and mainly swim open water. I enjoy swimming for long stretches of time, some folks like to bike centuries.

What does your general diet look like overall? I would suspect at $10/day and swimming 5k a day you probably just aren't getting enough calories, period. And probably not enough protein as a subset of that. If spending some more to eat more isn't really an option, whole milk is a good choice. I eat a 50/30/20 split of carbs/fat/protein taking in about 2400 cal/day at 145lbs I think that's pretty good. I eat a lot of rolled oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, fish, chicken, veg (cabbage and broccoli are personal favorites), and fresh and frozen fruits. I have a hard time with dairy. Lactose free milk is a good idea. Thanks for the tip on whole milk! I'm not quite swimming 5k a day. I do 5-6k once or twice a week and keep it below 4k the other two or three days.

Great advice! I'll try backing off on the carbs and get more protein and see if that helps. Lactose free milk is not cheap, but it could work for post workout on my 'big' days. What are your thoughts about pre-workout nutrition?

I'd be wary to recommend any protein powders or shakes as they can elevate creatine levels. Just from 1 shake a day, 5 days a week, my levels were high enough that my doctor told me to stop. I'd much more suggest some natural ways of getting protein, such as milk or yogurt, which is what I do. Of course that was just an example/suggestion. What works for one may not work for another. Every person's dietary needs/likes are different. Personally my breakfast and lunch shakes are all vegiterian (pea protein, oats, spinach, blue berries, honey, almond milk, peanut butter, etc.)...though I'm not a vegetarian. It gets me though 4000m+ workouts. Dan

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... I'd much more suggest some natural ways of getting protein, such as milk or yogurt, which is what I do. I second this. Canned tuna is very inexpensive, tasty, and packs a ton of protein.

Try keeping 3 or 4 red grapes at your bedside to eat when you wake up during the night (one each time you wake). That will keep your blood sugar up.

I second this. Canned tuna is very inexpensive, tasty, and packs a ton of protein. There's so many possibilities. I get the large tub of Chobani yogurt (it is my preference, I know there's hype). It is about $5 and lasts me a week. I get single-serve chocolate milk, a 9-pack from Sam's Club, for about $9. I have one of those a day. And to be super cheap... If you get up early enough, 1/2 of a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich before a long workout can be a lifesaver. When I was doing long rides (like 4+ hours/70+ miles), I'd do that, and sometimes bring the other half with me. That seems to last almost forever. On weekends when I swim in the afternoon I'll have a bowl of whatever fruit I happen to have (lately strawberries and blueberries) with a few spoons of yogurt. Sometimes I'm just craving sugar, and the fruit at least gives that naturally.