6 Best Pre-Workout Foods For Your Body

Anyone looking to optimize his/her performance at the gym must eat. It is as simple as that, as food is the fuel our body needs. According to many a research, eating balanced meals helps with warding off fatigue and improves endurance during your exercise.

Eating proper pre-workout foods enhances the availability of blood glucose, however the trick is to assemble your pre-workout meals wisely.

The general rule of thumb here is to opt for protein, fiber, and low-glycemic carbs like oatmeal, veggies or sweet potatoes.

(RELATED: When To Eat Carbs So Your Body Doesn’t Store Fat)

As far as simple sugars are concerned, those are a big no-no.

Aside from low-glycemic carbs, protein is the second most important nutrient as it decreases muscle breakdown during and after your workout. Fat, on the other hand, takes the longest to digest, so your perfect pre-workout meal should be relatively low in fat.

With that in mind, here are 6 healthy and easy-to-prepare foods you should eat about an hour and a half before you hit the gym!

1. Veggie Omelet

Veggie omelet should be your number 1 meal for muscle-building. If you are a cardio freak, make sure to add a grapefruit or 1/2 cup rolled oats.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg whites
• peppers
• onions
• mushrooms
• grapefruit/oatmeal

Calories: 321; Protein: 26 g; Fat: 18 g; Carbs: 13 g; Sugars: 6.47 g

2. Grilled Chicken With Sweet Potato And Broccoli

Also great for muscle building, but also for circuit training, this grilled chicken is to be consumed 2 to 3 hours before you hit the gym.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz grilled chicken
• sweet potato
• broccoli

Calories: 368; Protein: 59 g; Fat: 9 g; Carbs: 37 g; Sugars: 11 g

3. Trail Mix

Eating a spicy trail mix before your training is just what your muscles need. For better endurance, add dried fruit and consume 1-2 hours before exercise.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw unsalted nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon
• cayenne pepper
• chili powder
• sea salt
• 1 tsp maple syrup

HOW TO PREPARE: Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Roast the nuts on a lined baking sheet for 10 minutes. In a medium-sized bowl, combine olive oil, spices and maple syrup, and add semi-roasted nuts. Return nuts to baking sheet and roast for another 10 minutes.

Calories: 546; Protein: 20 g; Fat: 60 g; Carbs: 23 g; Sugars: 7 g

4. Homemade Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla whey powder
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 30 g melted 85% dark chocolate

HOW TO PREPARE: Mix the milk with protein and coconut flour until batter-like mass is formed, then shape the batter into bars. Melt the chocolate, dip the protein bars in the chocolate and place the bars in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Calories: 212; Protein: 17 g; Fat: 13 g; Carbs: 9 g; Sugars: 3 g

5. Fruit And Cottage Cheese

This tingly combination is excellent for endurance or circuit training.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh berries (or melon)
• 1/2 sliced banana

Calories: 117; Protein: 14 g; Fat: 0.1 g; Carbs: 13 g; Sugars: 6 g

6. Greek Yogurt With Fruit

If you don’t like cottage cheese, we have a nice and tasty alternative: Greek yogurt with fruit.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or any other fruit you like)
• Add banana for endurance

Calories: 173; Protein: 14 g; Fat: 0.5 g; Carbs: 28 g; Sugars: 22 g

***

So, there you have it – 6 extremely easy, healthy and delicious pre-workout foods to make sure you get the most out of your workout plan!