Deciding what to eat before or after a workout? Here are a few tips to follow that may help with your pre and post workout nutrition to maximize your workout. You will also find below some energy-packed pre-workout snack ideas! 

What to Eat Before and After a Workout

 

Here are five rules of thumb to keep in mind: 

BEFORE 

1. Keep your tummy happy 

Choose pre-workout meals or snacks that are easy to digest and won’t cause bloating or irritate your stomach. In other words, a spicy bean burrito isn’t the best choice. If your food’s not digested before or during your workout, the fuel will be trapped in your stomach and won’t be available to your muscles, and providing fuel is the main goal of a pre-exercise meal. Also, undigested food can feel like a brick sitting in your stomach, leading to cramps and sluggishness. 

2. Keep it simple 

The best pre-activity foods are those relatively low in protein, fat, and fiber. These three substances delay the emptying of the stomach and keep you fuller longer. That’s great if you’ll be sitting at a desk for the next several hours, but not so great if you’ll be in high activity mode. So, a good pre-workout snack might be something like a bowl of low fiber whole grain cereal (like puffed brown rice or unsweetened organic corn flakes) with organic skim and a mini banana about an hour before. 

3. Hydrate 

It’s important to drink fluids before, during, and after your workout. If you’re sweating heavily or exercising for more than 60 minutes drink plenty of H2O. Keeping yourself well hydrated should keep your body from being drained or overheated. 

AFTER 

4. Time it right 

After a really tough workout, you should try to eat a “recovery” meal within 30 minutes if possible. Training uses a lot of energy, muscles, and bones, and your body “uses up” nutrients during exercise; so this meal is all about putting back what you’ve lost and providing the raw materials needed for repair and healing. 

5. Balance is key 

A post-workout meal isn’t just about protein. It should include a lean protein source (for muscle repair) along with a whole grain (to replete glycogen, the carbohydrate stored in muscle tissue, which serves as a primary fuel source during exercise), plenty of produce (to replenish nutrients), and a healthy fat source (for healing and circulation), and of course more fluid (to rehydrate). A great example of a post-workout meal is stir-fry made with chicken, shrimp or edamame, whole grain rice, and a variety of colorful veggies topped with sliced almonds. For a simple stir-fry sauce packed with antioxidants whisk together two tablespoons brown rice vinegar with a splash of 100% orange juice and a dash each of fresh grated ginger and crushed red pepper. 

Reference: http://www.shape.com/blogs/weight-loss-coach/what-eat-after-workout 

Some Energy-packed Pre-Workout Snack  

Fruit - A simple sugar that’s digested easily will help kick start  your workout. Athlete favourites: oranges, bananas & apples. 

A smoothie made w/ fruit, almond milk and ice.
Yogurt Parfait – Combine natural (unsweetened) yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and granola. (This is especially good for breakfast as you have fruit to get your engine going plus protein and granola to keep you satisfied for a couple of hours.)

Celery w/ peanut butter – About 8-12 3 iinch sticks of celery w/ 1 tbsp natural peanut butter.

A bit of cheese with fruit - A bit of protein and fruity goodness in a quick-to-make snack.

Oatmeal- the real stuff that you cook on your stove, not the sugar-packed microwavable pouches. Cook 3/4C-1C of oats and sweeten with honey and berries.

Hard boiled eggs w/ yolks replaced with humus (extra yummy with a dusting of paprika). Best if followed by a complex carb like a slice of whole wheat bread.

Buckwheat or Brown Rice with your favorite lean meat & steamed veggies.