4 Best Pre-Workout Meals
The human body is like a car that runs on fuel to reach from point X to Y. To keep it in the best shape, you need to put fuel in the car.
The human body works exactly the same way. We need to fuel the body with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to reach our health and fitness goals. This is where the best pre-workout meals come into the fray.
When to Eat Before A Scheduled Workout?
- If you're planning to hit the gym in the early morning, it's best to consume a small snack at least 30-45 minutes before starting exercises.
- After a big meal, you must always make it a point to give your body a rest of at least 2-3 hours before you hit the gym.
It's good to remember that everybody is different and, therefore, everyone may prefer a different eating schedule before workouts.
However, the general rule of thumb is that you should start with the 30-minute mark for snacks and wait 2 hours for meals, before hitting the gym.
Pre-Workout Meal Options
- Workout starts within 2-3 hours or more: You may try out lean protein, a side salad, and sandwich on whole-grain bread. You can even try out roasted vegetables, brown rice, and lean protein or opt for whole-grain toast topped with avocado spread, a cup of fruit, and egg omelet.
- Workout starts within an hour or less: You may try out fruits such as apples, oranges, or bananas. Alternatively, you may opt for protein-rich nutrition bars, fruits, porridge, and Greek Yogurt.
- Workout starts within 2 hours: You may opt for milk, whole-grain cereals, a cup of oatmeal topped with sliced almonds and bananas. You may even try out protein smoothies made with protein powder, mixed berries, bananas, and milk.
1) Porridge or oatmeal
Both Porridge and oatmeal are easily digestible and filling. Moreover, they facilitate a sustained release of energy with lots of complex carbs for peak performance.
The best thing is that you can add seeds, nuts, fruits, honey, coconut, and plant-based milks, depending on your caloric requirements and preferences.
2) Egg Salad Sandwich
If you are into lifting heavy weights, a good pre-workout meal for you should include eggs.
For this, you can try out hard-boiled eggs with fruits and crackers and you may even try out lip-smacking egg salad sandwiches.
You may even try out scrambled or fried eggs with toast as a satisfying pre-workout breakfast before you hit the gym.
3) Smoothies
A powerful pre-workout smoothie or protein shake may be an excellent choice to explore healthy fats, carbs, and protein to fuel your workouts.
You can even include some berries and bananas to increase the carbohydrate content or even explore the idea of adding vegetables such as spinach or cauliflower.
4) Whole-grain breakfast cereals
Whole-grain breakfast cereals like Chex or Muesli can be good choices as pre-workout meals, especially for people with a sensitive stomach.
For a good topping, you may add sliced peaches, blueberries, raspberries, or bananas to keep you fuller for long.
We hope that this information on the best pre-workout meals was useful to you.