A good diet and correct food choices will always improve the workout result and have a better performance. That’s why a lot of people wonder what to eat as a post and pre workout snack.
The amount of food and what type of food you should eat depends on the person, such as age, gender, physical condition, and if they have any medical conditions.
People eat before exercising to have energy so that they do not feel lethargic while working out.
However, it would help if you did not overeat, as it will cause bloating and stomach pain
Table of Contents
21 Healthy Pre Workout Snacks
Here are some pre workout snacks for weight loss and fat loss:
Coconut Water
If looking for a healthy and refreshing pre workout snack, you should cool your stomach with some coconut water. It is not only filling, but it also has the right amount of carbs that the body easily absorbs. It also has potassium and electrolytes.
Banana
Bananas are a complete food filled with potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins.
It is also free from fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
Just have one or two bananas before you start your workout session.
Egg and Avocado Toast
Avocado toast and egg are probably one of the combinations, and it is actually filled with vitamins, minerals, and protein.
You can either boil the egg or make an omelet; the choice is yours.
Grilled Chicken and Veggies
A great pre workout meal for muscle gain is to have grilled chicken.
However, this is not a snack, more like a meal, but it is great for muscle mass.
It is high in protein and low in sodium and is absolutely sugar-free.
Try to grill some veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower to maximize the nutrition value.
Blackberries and Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese or paneer and berries are a great combination as it has you up for a long time. That means you will not feel hungry while doing an intense workout.
Cottage cheese is gluten-free and is filled with vitamin B and calcium.
Blackberries, a superfood, is rich in vitamin C.
Oatmeal
Oats are filled with fiber, that’s why it releases carbs slowly. Thus, the energy is steady throughout the workout time.
The fiber present in oats helps to lower low-density lipoproteins cholesterol levels.
However, Irish oats are the best type of oats to have as a pre-workout snack as it converts the carbs to energy faster.
Apple cheese crackers
Another pre workout snack is apple cheese cracker, which is a combination of savory and sweet.
You can choose any cracker you like and make this dish.
To make this, you need to chop the apples in thin slides. Now on top of crackers, place cheese, one apple slide, and sprinkle pepper or sugar.
However, avoid sugar and cheese if you want to make it healthier.
Dry Fruits and Nuts
If you are in a hurry and do not know what to eat, then the quickest pre workout snack is to have some fruit and nuts. You can have some berries, apples, walnuts, almonds, apricots, and dates.
They have easily digestible carbs.
Whole Grain Bread
They are rich in carbs, which convert into energy and will not make you feel tired during a workout.
Just toast them and have them with some eggs or juice. However, avoid applying butter or cheese to your bread.
Fruit Salad
To make this, you need a few different fruits and yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt.
Fruits are rich in carbs, and yogurt is filled with protein. However, Greek yogurt has twice the amount of protein compared to normal yogurt.
Cauliflower and Carrot with Hummus
To make this, you need 100 grams of cauliflower, a cup of sesame and hemp seeds, 20 milliliters of lemon juice, one teaspoon of cumin powder, olive oil, water, and a pinch of salt.
Pour everything except carrot in a food processor and blend it. It might take some time to have a smooth paste as it has sesame and hemp seeds.
Now keep it in a bowl and add salt according to your taste.
Half boil the carrot, and there you have it, a healthy and tasty pre workout snack.
Baked Broccoli and Scrambled Eggs
Not only healthy but also a tasty snack to have before exercising.
You can add your other favorite vegetables too. Bake the veggies and add the scrambled eggs to it.
Since you are already exercising, you can add a little bit of cheese for some flavor.
Red Apple and Peanut Butter
Peanut butter and red apple are a great combo if you are in a hurry. Just dip the apple in peanut butter, and you are done.
However, if you have time, you can add some chia seeds or pumpkin seeds to this combo.
Creatine
Creatine is perhaps the most popular supplement.
It is an amazing pre workout meal for muscle gain, muscle mass, and strength.
This is also extremely beneficial as your post-workout snack too.
However, do not have more than 5 grams of it every day.
Orange Smoothie
If your workout and mealtime are less, you should always choose a light snack, and an orange smoothie is one of the best options.
It would help if you had fresh oranges and milk or yogurt.
Oranges have a good source of fiber and free of fat and cholesterol. Moreover, it also helps to lose weight.
Almond Coconut Protein Shake
For the base of the shake, use 1 or 2 bananas or 50 grams of oatmeal. Other things you need are 40 grams of almonds, coconut water, yogurt, two tablespoons of cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
However, skip the maple syrup if you want the shake to be healthier.
Add all the ingredients to the food processor and blend it. Top it off with maple syrup.
Vanilla and Cinnamon Protein Shake
To make this, you need 1 banana, 1 tablespoon of vanilla protein powder, half teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 small cup of plain yogurt, 30 grams of almonds, and ice.
Add all the ingredients to your food processor and blend it until it is smooth.
Moreover, this protein shake is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium.
Blueberry Banana Shake
To make this, you need 1 frozen banana, 100 grams of blueberries, 200 grams of yogurt, 200 milliliters of vanilla almond milk (can be substituted with any other milk, and 2 drops of vanilla essence), and ice cubes.
Just put all the ingredients in the mixer and blend it. There you have your another pre workout snack.
Raspberry and Avocado Smoothie
First of all, it is a layered smoothie, so you need to have some time to make it.
You need 100 grams of raspberries, 75 grams of avocado, half lime juice, 20 grams of almond or peanut butter, 4 tablespoons of honey, 150 grams of yogurt, and 50 milliliters of milk.
In the food processor, you need to add raspberries, almond or peanut butter, yogurt, and milk for the top layer. Blend them in a smooth paste.
In the bottom layer, add the avocado, lime juice, honey, and yogurt.
While pouring in a glass, first pour the bottom layer and then the top one.
This smoothie has a good source of sodium, protein, and carbohydrates.
Citrus Juice
To make this, you need one tangerine, one lemon, one lime, one cup of spinach, two medium-size carrots, and 100 milliliters of almond milk.
Add all the ingredients to the food processor, blend it, and you are done.
This juice is cholesterol-free and has a good source of protein and sodium.
Rice, Veggies and Grilled Chicken
This is a very full course pre workout snack. Since it is very filling, have it 2 to 3 hours before you start your workout.
For rice, make it plain and do not add any sauce or spices.
You can add veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, green leaves, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and mushroom. Stir fry them and add a little bit of olive oil.
To make grill chicken, marinate it with lemon zest or lemon juice and keep it for 2 hours or overnight if possible.
Then grill each side for 2 to 3 minutes and serve it.
Healthy Post Workout Snacks
Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk is perfect to have as a post-workout snack. It has a good amount of protein and carbs; besides, it is easy to make and tasty.
However, only have this if your workout session is a minimum of 30 minutes long.
Spinach and Omelette
To make this, you need 1 egg, 2 whites, 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, 1/8 red chili, 1/8 garlic paste, 1/8 nutmeg, 50 grams of mushroom, 50 grams of onion, 50 grams of tomatoes, 75 grams of spinach, 20 grams of bell pepper, 1/8 black pepper, 10-milliliter olive oil and salt to taste.
First, beat all the eggs and add parmesan cheese, red chili, garlic paste, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.
Now in a pan, add olive oil and stir fry the bell pepper, mushrooms, onions for 5 to 7 minutes.
After that, add the tomatoes and spinach and the egg mixture at last. Cook this for 5 to 10 minutes. Now, it is ready to serve.
This snack has a good source of calcium, folate, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, protein, and dietary fiber.
Olive Oil and Cucumber Drink
To make this, you need 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 cucumber, 50 grams of kale, 20 grams of parsley, half lemon juice, Himalayan black salt, 100 milliliters of water, and cayenne pepper for taste.
Add all of them to a food processor and blend it until it is a smooth paste.
However, you cannot store this drink and have to consume it immediately.
Trail mix
If you are doing a workout to gain muscle, then trail mix is a good post workout snack. It is made of nuts and seeds, which are high in fat and protein.
To make this, you need almonds, cashew peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dry fruits, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Just mix all the ingredients and store them in an airtight container. You can keep it up to 4 to 6 weeks.
However, if you plan to buy it from your local stores, avoid the ones with added sugar and chocolate.
Chicken pasta
To make chicken pasta, you need 100 grams of boiled chicken, one cup of pasta (any type of pasta is fine), 100 milliliters of water, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, one teaspoon of garlic powder and black pepper, green chilies according to your taste, 10 grams of butter, two tablespoons of carrots, onion, spring onion, bell pepper and beans, half cup of chicken stock, two teaspoons of pasta water, ½ tablespoon of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of cheese and salt to taste.
Now boil water in a pan and add olive oil, salt, and the pasta.
In a different bowl, add butter, salt, black pepper, and the boiled chicken. Mix it well for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add some olive oil to the mixture and add all the veggies in it. Sauté it for 5 to 7 minutes and add the chicken stock, water, pasta water, and heavy cream.
Mix it well until the color is light brown. Add the pasta, cheese and cook for 5 minutes.
Your chicken pasta is ready.
Mix Salad
To make is superfood salad you need, 1 cup of raw spinach and kale each, 1 cup of boiled chickpeas, half cup of onion, 1 mango, 75 grams of strawberry, 1 banana, and 20 grams of pumpkin seeds (you can choose any other seeds too)
You need 20 milliliters of water for the dressing, 2 teaspoons of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, or 1 garlic finely chopped, chia seeds, and salt to taste.
In a bowl, first, add all the veggies and fruit and mix them well.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients and keep it aside. The chia seeds will absorb the water and make the dressing a little bit thicker.
Add the dressing to the salad, and you post workout snack is ready.
Final thoughts
Remember post or pre workout snack is not compulsory. If you already have a heavy breakfast or lunch, you most probably do not need it.
It would help if you calculated your daily calorie intake before adding more calories to your routine.
However, we have given you many options; some are light snacks, whereas some are heavy; choose according to your daily diet and calorie consumption.
