It you are a person that routinely works out, I want you to ask yourself a question. Are you having the right kind of before and after workout snacks?
Do you snack at all?
If you are not a workout buff you probably don’t realize that it helps to have the right kind of snack before and after a workout.
They can help you to have a better workout and to aid your body in recovery afterwards.
It is suggested that you have a snack at least 30 minutes before you work out and 30 minutes after you work out.
That is going to be 2 snacks, but don’t panic. Before you start thinking you want to stay fit or lose weight not eat more, you must understand your body with be using and burning these foods.
Why Before and After Snacks
Depending what type of workout you are doing, will depend on the snack you have.
For example, carbs boost your energy, so if you are doing a more intense exercise, you are going to want to have a higher carb snack.
Again, don’t worry, you will burn it off. Without the snack, you will have difficulty getting through your work out.
Just ensure you are having snack size portions and you will be fine.
Cardio Workout Foods
Cardio workouts can include running, cycling, dancing, or kickboxing, just to name a few.
Since you are moving your body a lot and at a quick pace, you want easy to digest snacks. And you will want to be sure to hydrate with protein and carbs after to help recovery.
Some before workout snacks to choose from include toast with jam, a banana, sweet potato, eggs, applesauce, or chicken.
For some after workout snack ideas, you could have milk, chocolate milk, smoothies, peanut butter on celery, Greek yogurt parfait, or turkey roll-ups with cream cheese and pickles.
HIIT Workout Snacks
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This is a very fasted paced workout with short breaks between exercises. To learn more about HIIT workouts, check out my post, Beginner HIIT Workout to Help Slim You Down.
Since this is an intense workout, you want to eat carbs beforehand to help give you that boost of energy.
To help your muscles recover, you will want foods high in protein after your HIIT workout.
Some great snacking options beforehand are toast with jelly, milk, yogurt, granola bars, and cereal bars.
Protein packed foods for after your workout include, hard boiled eggs, turkey roll-ups, celery with peanut butter, and Greek yogurt parfait.
Toning Workout Foods
Workouts that tone your body include exercises like yoga and Pilates. If you want to learn more about yoga, check out this post.
For this type of exercise, you want a balanced snack of carbs, fat, and protein to help keep you energized all day.
Balanced snacks include clementine’s and pistachios. Cheese, grapes, and wheat thins. Half a banana with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Ranch dip with broccoli and bell pepper slices. Or tuna salad with celery and kiwi.
Weight Training Workout Snacks
Weight training exercises would be your Crossfit and kettlebell type of workouts.
Protein is what you are going to want to focus on for these snacks. Protein aids in muscle growth and recovery, so this is a must for your snack to have.
Snacks with high protein are, trail mix, hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt parfait, celery with peanut butter, turkey roll-ups, granola bars, string cheese, and chocolate milk.
Snacking Matters
Always remember to snack at least 30 minutes before and after your workout. You might believe that you do not need a snack, but it is going to help you have the energy to get through your workout and aid your body in recovery.
What you eat should also depend on the type of workout you are doing. Different workouts do different things for your body, so they require different snacks.
Cardio workouts require you to move your body a lot and at a quick pace. Therefore, you want easy to digest snacks ahead of time and to hydrate with protein and carbs after to help recovery.
HIIT is a very fasted paced workout with short breaks between exercises. It can be hard on your body, so you want to eat carbs beforehand to give you energy and protein after to aid you muscles with recovery.
Toning workouts like yoga and Pilates, require balanced snacks to help keep you energized all day.
Weight training exercises focus on your muscles, so you want to focus on muscle recovery as well. Your snacks both before and after your workout will need to be high in protein.
If you eat the recommended types of foods for your workout, you will not only have a much better workout, but you will be benefiting your body in multiple ways.
