Pre Workout Snacks
Starting out on a health and wellness journey can be tough. Let’s face it what to eat, when, and how much can all be a little confusing.
Food is fuel and what you do eat is just as important as what you don’t eat.
Carbs = energy. When we eat them, they break down into glucose, enter our muscle cells, and give us fuel to exercise.
Since they are digested quickly and provide energy, it is a good idea to eat simple carbohydrates before a workout.
The ideal time to eat is between 30 minutes to three hours before your workout.
Here are a few examples of my favorites pre-workout snacks.
Avocado, Eggs, and toast
Try 1 or 2 eggs with 1 slice of whole-wheat toast and half of an avocado, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
PB & B toast
1-2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter and half a sliced banana on whole-wheat toast
Apple with Peanut Butter
Slice up 1 medium apple and serve with 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
Apple with String Cheese
Don’t have time to fuss around in the kitchen? Well here is a quick grab and go snack. 2 stick part-skim milk mozzarella string cheese and a medium apple.
Clementines and Almonds
Another quick grab and go snack: 2 small clementines and a hand full of almonds.
Eggs and toast
Try 1 or 2 eggs with 1 slice of whole-wheat toast or thin bagel and half of a banana.
Fruit smoothie
One scoop of your favorite whey protein powder with ½ cup ice, and 1 cup frozen berries.
My favorite protein powder is the Trader Joe’s Darwin’s Whey Chocolate Protein Powder, yum!
Yogurt parfait
Top 1/4 cup nonfat yogurt with ½ cup whole grain cereal and ½ cup fresh strawberries.
My favorite thing to eat pre workout is 1/2 cup of rolled oats with half a banana two cut up strawberries and 2 tsp of chia seeds.
Notice a pattern? Carbohydrate paired with protein. Now get up and get your workout in!
Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different and will have its own specific needs and preferences. Find what works for you and what you like.
I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three. I would also love to follow you on Instagram and Twitter as well, so let me know your username in the comment section below!
One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is oatmeal! It is a great way to start the day because in just a half a cup of rolled oats there are five grams of fiber! Oat meal also has an appetite regulating hormone called cholecystokinin. Both of these will help you to feel fuller longer. (You can put an entire tablespoon of raw sugar on your bowl of oatmeal for only an additional 45 calories! Or a tablespoon of real maple syrup is only 52 calories!)
Chia seeds are a great source of omega-3s, protein, and fiber. I love to put the seeds into hot water so that they swell up. Then I brew some chai tea and add the “bloomed” seeds to the chai. Does that make it a chia chai? I don’t know if the swollen seeds actually fill your stomach to make you feel less hungry, but I still really love them. They are great in yogurt and smoothies. Just be careful because they can easily get stuck in your teeth, (not pretty, haha!)
Nuts are a great sources of fiber. They digest slowly so you feel fuller longer. My favorite nuts are Almonds! There are so many different types of nuts that just because you don’t like one doesn’t mean that another won’t be your favorite! Just be sure that you are eating raw nuts and not processed or sugar coated ones!
Another food that is high in both water content and fiber is dark leafy vegetables: kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. I love to eat salads with all kinds of dark leafy greens. Adding a tablespoon of your favorite oil and vinegar salad dressing will only add between 50-80 additional calories. Stay away from cream based dressings they cause the calories to really add up making your “healthy salad” into a diet destroyer!
One of my favorite things to eat is sushi! While sushi isn’t necessarily the thing that helps me lose weight, one of the things I also love to get when I eat sushi is edamame. Half a cup of edamame has over eight grams of protein but is less than 100 calories. Making it a great way to keep you feeling full!
Looking Joli Good 