Are you clueless on which foods to eat before and after a workout? We share some ideas in this article.
Have you decided to finally lead a healthier lifestyle? Are you planning to do some workouts this weekend? Then good for you! But do you know what to eat before and after a workout?
Feeding your body before and after a workout is just as important as say, stretching before and after an exercise. Feeding your body is critical for keeping yourself energized. It can also help in burning calories, losing weight and fast tracking your muscles’ repair and recovery.
Are you clueless on what foods to eat before and after a workout? Here are some ideas to help you out:
What to Eat Before a Workout:
1. Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich
Peanut butter jelly sandwich is delicious, easy to prepare, and packed with protein that builds and repairs muscles. The jelly and bread will also nourish your body with simple sugars and carbs to give you energy throughout your workouts.
2. Banana
You will likely notice other people in the gym eating a banana during a break. It’s not a coincidence because banana is one of the best foods to eat before working out.
There are plenty of reasons why bananas are always in the discussion on the best foods to eat before working out. One is that it has high levels of fast acting carbohydrates that your body can use as fuel during workouts.
This fruit is also rich in potassium that can help prevent muscle cramps.
Plus, you can easily bring one or two bananas with you when you hit the gym.
If you are the type of person who works out first thing in the morning, I suggest that you eat bananas before running or heading to your treadmill.
3. Green smoothie
Smoothies will always be a favorite of athletes because one, it is so-easy to prepare and two, it is so nutritious. Drinking a smoothie before working out will give your body the energy it needs for those exercises. It can also give you the protein that’s so essential for building and repairing muscles.
Here’s a pre-workout smoothie that you can prepare. It should not take you more than 5 minutes to prepare it.
Ingredients:
- One banana
- One apple
- 2 cups of spinach
- 2 cups of almond milk
- One-third cup of rolled oats
- Half teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- One tablespoon of coconut oil
This one is so easy to make. Simply blend the almond milk and spinach first until you get a smooth mixture. Then add the other ingredients. Blend until smooth. You can also toss in some ice cubes to make this smoothie cold and more delicious.
What to eat after a workout
1. Greek yogurt
Why Greek yogurt instead of any other type? Well, this kind of yogurt has more protein than any other kind of yogurt. It is also high in carbohydrates.
I recommend that you eat Greek yogurt within an hour of your workout. This would replenish your body with glycogen and protein to repair small muscle tears you might have incurred while training.
2. Eggs
It’s up to you how you want to serve eggs. Whether it’s scrambled, sunny side up or good ole hard boiled eggs, you won’t go wrong with this protein packed food.
And contrary to what people thought of eggs back in the 90s, egg yolks are good for you.
What I like best about eggs is that they’re very versatile. You can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
You can also serve eggs with a slice of toast. Or serve it with lean turkey for a protein packed meal.
3. Power Granola
With its combination of orange juice, flax, honey, and oats, granola has the carbs, protein and healthy fats that your body needs after a grueling workout. You don’t need to buy this snack. Here’s how to make your own granola for a great post-workout meal.
Ingredients:
- Two cups of oats
- One-third cup of flaxseed
- One-fourth cup of walnuts, chopped
- One-fourth cup of almonds
- Two teaspoons of cinnamon
- One-third cup of orange juice
- One-third cup of honey
- Two teaspoons of canola oil
- One teaspoon of vanilla extract
- One-fourth cup of brown sugar
- Cooking spray
- One-third cup dried cranberries
Step by step guide:
- Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the first five ingredients in a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine the honey, brown sugar and orange juice. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir well.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and oil.
- Pour the honey concoction over the oat mixture. Stir to coat and spread the mixture into a pan coated with cooking spray.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until it has turned golden brown. Stir in dried cranberries then cool completely.
That’s it! You now have granola that you can store and use within 2 weeks.
These are all excellent foods that you should be eating before and after a workout. But don’t take my word for it. Try eating these foods and see how they can give you the energy and endurance you need for your workouts.
