5 Pre and Post Workout Snacks

5 Pre and Post Workout Snacks

February 18, 2014 Crystal Zuzek

The cliché you are what you eat hits especially close to home when it’s time to exercise. Failure to eat an appropriate, healthy snack before and after a workout can be disastrous. For me, if I don’t eat a snack with complex carbohydrates and protein before I hit the gym, I feel faint and shaky midway though exercise. To help others avoid such a fate, Snap Kitchen’s Registered Dietitian Andrea Hinsdale helps take the guesswork out of healthy snacking with her top five pre-workout and post-workout snacks.

Hinsdale says that in general, energy-filled snacks featuring carbohydrates like whole grains and fruit combined with protein are your best bet before and after a workout.

Top 5 pre-workout snacks

Half a banana, half a piece of whole wheat toast, a handful of whole grain cereal, ora few bites of oatmeal (ideal for early morning workouts)
Plain low-fat Greek yogurt (add berries or sliced banana)
Apple or half a banana with a tablespoon of nut butter
A few nuts and some dried fruit
Boiled egg with hummus (Try Snap Kitchen “Devily” Eggs)

Hinsdale says it’s a good idea to eat about an hour before exercise. “It’s the complex carbohydrates that provide the fuel or energy needed for a great workout,” she adds. If you plan to exercise in the evening, she suggests eating a mid-afternoon snack around 4 pm to “help you avoid the temptation of high-sugar snacks. You put the time and effort into making exercise part of your busy day, so you should get the most out of your workout.”

Hinsdale says it’s a good idea to eat about an hour before exercise. “It’s the complex carbohydrates that provide the fuel or energy needed for a great workout,” she adds.

If you plan to exercise in the evening, she suggests eating a mid-afternoon snack around 4 pm to “help you avoid the temptation of high-sugar snacks. You put the time and effort into making exercise part of your busy day, so you should get the most out of your workout.”

Top 5 post-workout snacks

A balanced breakfast following early morning exercise
Protein bar with minimal and pronounceable ingredients, half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a handful of nuts, hard-boiled egg and a piece of fruit, or hummus and veggies
Homemade protein shake with Greek yogurt or unsweetened almond milk, fresh or frozen fruit, and some chia or flaxseeds (stick to a single eight ounce serving)
Whole wheat or gluten-free wrap with hummus and veggies or breakfast wrap with eggs and avocado
Three ounces of lean protein like chicken or fish and at least one vegetable (ideal for dinner)

After you exercise, your muscles need protein, and it’s important for your body to replenish glycogen, or stored carbohydrates, Hinsdale explains. “Plan for a mixed carbohydrate-and-protein snack within an hour of exercise. For the average pre- or post-workday exerciser, a healthy breakfast or dinner makes for the most convenient after workout option,” she says.

Hinsdale cautions that high-fat, greasy, fried foods that could cause stomach discomfort are a bad idea. “It’s also best to avoid high-fiber foods prior to exercising for these same reasons. Avoid high-sugar sports drinks, protein shakes, and bars that may seem convenient at the time, but typically have too many artificial and processed ingredients,” she says.

About the Specialist:

Andrea Hinsdale, RD, LD, is the Snap Kitchen concept dietitian. With 5 stores in Austin, including the flagship location in the Triangle, locally owned Snap Kitchen offers a selection of “foodie” items made fresh daily, salads tossed-to-order (flagship locations), cold-pressed juices, high-energy snacks, and diet-friendly desserts for the person on the go. All of Snap’s menu items are portion controlled and labeled with the full nutritional content. Just stop by a convenient location, grab your food and go, or order online for delivery or curbside pickup. http://www.snapkitchen.com/

About the Author: Crystal Zuzek:

Crystal Zuzek is an Austin-based writer with more than a decade of experience in the journalism industry. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism in the magazine sequence. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, going to movies and concerts, and spending time with her husband, Patrick, and her dachshund mix, Saffron.