Are You Fueling Your Body Right?: What To Eat Before Going To The Gym
If you hit up the gym pretty regularly, chances are that you do your best to eat a healthy diet as well! After all, you need to eat good food to have energy for those workouts! And you want food that will help to maintain the body you achieve through working out. But unless you work with a professional trainer or nutritionist, you’re probably not paying that much attention to what to eat before the gym.
Lucky for you, we’re super big nerds about this stuff. So even though we may not be professional trainers or nutritionists, we are here to give you some important tips about what to eat before the gym! And it won’t cost you a dime! We’ll tell you how you can maximize your workouts and meet your fitness goals faster by making a few simple changes!
Why Is Choosing What To Eat Before The Gym Important?
When you work out, you’re using up a bunch of your body’s energy. And where does that energy come from? That’s right. What you eat before going to the gym. That’s why carefully choosing what to eat before the gym is important! Each nutrient performs a different function during your workout, so you need to tailor your pre-gym meals or snacks to your individual body and the type of exercise! Mistakes choosing what to eat before the gym could cause poor performance, and nobody wants that!
What To Eat Before Cardio
Before cardio, you want to focus on eating a snack or meal that’s moderate in protein, high in carbs, and low in sugar and fat. Here’s some of our top picks:
- Timing Is Key| If you’re going to be doing aerobic exercise, make sure to eat about 60-90 minutes before your workout. This way there’s time for your meal to be digested into fuel.
- Eggs| These pantry staples are an excellent option before cardio. Hardboiled, scrambled, or over-easy, you can have them any way you like!
- Sweet Potatoes| Sweet potatoes are an easy and tasty way to add more carbs when you’re choosing what to eat before the gym.
- Smoothies| Skip adding sugar, and opt for a simple smoothie with ingredients like almond milk, bananas, and fresh berries! It’ll be easier to digest than a meal, especially if you like to workout in the morning!
- Oatmeal With Raisins| Another morning favorite, this tasty breakfast will definitely fuel you through your cardio.
What To Eat Before Lifting Weights
If you’re going to be strength training, then you should be paying EXTRA attention to what to eat before the gym. Focus on eating a balanced meal with carbs and protein an hour or two before you workout. We love these ideas:
- Nuts| A handful of nuts or unsweetened nut butter is a great way to get some protein and quality carbohydrates on the go before your workout!
- Milk And A Sliced Banana| This easy snack is one of the purest examples of what to eat before the gym. Potassium, protein, and carbohydrates all enhance your workout performance!
- Apple Wedges And Almond Butter| This one’s a classic! And as you can see, so many of these options are easy, fast, and affordable!
What To Eat Before The Gym: Packaged Snacks
We get it! Sometimes you just don’t have the time or ingredients to make your own food before the gym! Life gets busy, but that shouldn’t stop you from having the right nutrition before you hit the gym. Check out some of our favorite pre-workout snack bars:
- Zing Bars| These bars were created by registered dietitians and are full of good fats and low glycemic carbs, making them the perfect thing to eat before the gym! And dietitians definitely know what to eat before the gym.
- Square Bars| These vegan protein bars are USDA Organic and Non-GMO and make a perfect snack before or after your workout!
- Luna Protein Bars| These powerful protein bars have a low glycemic value, which makes them perfect to snack on before the gym. If you’re watching your carbs, this might be a better pre-workout option for you!
