Nutrition is a huge part of your success when it comes to a fitness program. This doesn’t just mean calories and macros. It also means what you eat before and after working out. How you fuel for a workout and recover for a workout is so important. Today, I am going to walk you through what you should eat before and after a workout and why. I will also give you ideas for healthy pre and post workout snacks.

Pre-workout foods

Before a workout, you need something that will keep your energy levels high and help you to perform your best. This is why a snack or meal high in carbohydrates and lower in protein and fat will be your best friend. Carbohydrates are our bodies main source of energy, so it would make sense that this is what should be eaten. 

With that said, be careful about what type of carbs are consumed before a workout. Avoid high fiber foods before a workout because they take longer to digest which will divert the energy needed for your workout to your digestive system. High fiber foods are an important part of a healthy diet, just not before a workout. You should also avoid high sugar snacks such as certain bars and shakes. These high sugars foods give you a sugar rush with high energy for a short period, but you will crash. This is obviously not what you want during a workout. 

Post-workout foods 

Eating after a workout is super important. It helps your body to recover, and it replenishes the nutrient stores depleted during your workout.You’ve probably heard that you need to eat immediately after a workout or within 30 minutes exactly. While it is true you should eat soon after a workout, try not to be too hard on yourself with the exact time frame. Anywhere between immediately following to an hour after should be fine. 

So what should you eat following a workout? A meal or snack following a workout should have a good mix of carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates are needed to replenish the energy used during your workout, and protein is needed to help your muscles recover and rebuild. 

Just like pre-workout foods, there are certain foods and meals you should avoid following a workout. First, try not to eat a super high calorie meal or snack following a workout. I know this may be tempting, but it can lead to an unhealthy eating pattern in the future. Again, high fat meals and snacks should be avoided. Fats slow digestion which can hinder the replacement of energy stores after a workout. 

Example pre and post workout snacks

Here are some ideas for pre and post workout snacks. 

Pre-workout snacks: 

• Low sugar and fat snack bar
• Homemade energy balls (be sure these are low in fat and have healthy carbs such as oats) 
• Bananas and peanut butter 
• Hard boiled egg and whole grain toast 
• Low fat cheese and a whole grain bagel or toast
• Apples with cinnamon or other seasoning of choicef

Post-workout snacks: 

• Balanced protein shake (be sure to include a good source of carbs as well, such as a banana) 
• Turkey and low-fat cheese roll ups with whole grain crackers 
• Protein bar (be sure it is low in fat and added sugar) 
• Greek yogurt with fruit or granola 
• Chocolate milk (my favorite is Fairlife because of the higher protein content) 

I hope this guide was helpful for you, and if you have any questions, feel free to dm me over on Instagram. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more nutrition tips!