As someone who eats more small meals rather than big, snacking is basically where I get most of my energy from. The reason I can eat so many snacks is because I try to make (mostly) good choices when it comes to what I eat. If you ask any of my friends, I always have some sort of snack packed away with me (just in case), like a granola bar or pack of nuts. The most important snacks in my day are my pre- and post- workout fuel.
Knowing what works best for your body and what gives you the most energy is extremely important. Try out a variety of snacks and see how your body reacts. Some people can't tolerate dairy too quickly before a workout; some can eat it no problem. It all depends on the person. The most important thing is the get the proper nutrition that will help you get through your workout and then, afterwards, help you repair and rebuild muscle afterwards. I do not advocate exercising on an empty stomach; the literature shows that you are actually using up your muscle rather than fat when you skip breakfast before a workout, for example. Here is an interesting article about skipping breakfast before a workout by Self Magazine:
http://www.self.com/flash/fitness-blog/2014/05/fitness-morning-workout-mistake/
Without futher ado, here are some workout snack ideas! All of these have the potential to be help you either fuel or rebuild and repair afterwards(:
Pre-Workout/Post-Workout:
- Greek yogurt (flavored or unflavored--Chobani is my favorite)
- topped with fruit, almonds, cacao nibs, cereal, you name it!
- Keep in mind that flavored may be a better choice (depending on the brand and sugar content) for pre-workout because of the carb-sugar-protein combination for fuel. Unflavored/plain Greek yogurt just has the protein aspect.
- Smoothie
- Base: yogurt, protein powder with water or milk, milk (any type)
- fruit (strawberry banana is my favorite--Get creative!)
- frozen is best for smoothies!
- ice, ice, baby
- almonds, cacao nibs, peanut butter, et cetera
- Lastly! Try a handful of spinach or kale. It increases the nutritional value of your smoothie by adding in a serving to half serving of vegetables in it. If this is too weird for you, try gradually adding small amounts to test it out. Spinach is a safer choice when it comes to first trying it (you won't taste it as much as the kale).
- Tip: Making a smoothie with fruit like blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, or raspberries really mask the "green" taste in your smoothie, if you are worried about that.
- Sweetener (if needed)
- stevia, agave, cane sugar honey, et cetera (watch your portions!)
- you probably won't need it because the fruit you add should make it sweet enough!
- Toast, crackers, or Rice cakes topped with...
- Hummus and veggies (peppers, carrots, cucumber)
- avocado and cucumber (try seasoning the avo with red pepper flakes, garlic salt, pepper, and italian seasoning-->so good!)
- peanut butter (or any nut butter) with sliced banana, apples, strawberries
- Banana/Apple slices with nut butters
- Trail Mix
- Be careful of added sweeteners and junk food-->aim for a trail mix that contains mostly nuts, dried fruit, and then some fun stuff (like pb chips, dark chocolate chips, yogurt chips, pretzels, and so on)
- avoid the ones with candy (like mini-pb cups or cookies), save those types of trail mixes for dessert!
- Cereal with milk
- add fruit for more natural sugars and nutrition! (sliced banana and berries are my favorite)
- On-the-go Options:
- Protein or Snack Bars
- Kind Bars (pb and strawberry, pb and dark chocolate, almond and apricot, almond and coconut, they have great flavors!)
- for post workout, try to eat the ones with some protein
- Quest Bars
- I love EVERY flavor. (Favorites: cookie dough, cookies and cream, peanut butter and jelly, mixed berry bliss)
- Luna Bars
- Kashi Bars
- Trail Mix or nuts
- crackers, apples, bananas, and peanut butter
- dried fruit (unsweetened)
Beth Israel Hospital just reported that running on an empty stomach burns muscle instead of fat.
ReplyDeleteContrary to popular belief, working out on an empty stomach does not jumpstart your metabolism. After approximately 30 minutes of exercising without eating first, the body starts to use muscle as an energy source, which can lead to overexertion, dizziness, and dehydration. Also, exercising on an empty stomach lowers your blood sugar which leads to hunger, and people are then more likely to end up eating more after the workout than they would otherwise. - See more at: http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/Holistic-Health/Health-Myths-Center.aspx?ChunkID=156981#sthash.8teVPgCP.dpuf
Thank you for sharing! I think this really complements the link I provided from Self Magazine. I know it can be hard to eat a lot before exercise, but even a small piece of fruit can make a huge difference. We want to take care of our bodies through exercise, and it can only be done by fueling properly!
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