What to eat before and after your workout

A question I get often is, “What should I eat before my workout?”

The short answer: carbohydrates/fiber, not fats.

Carbohydrates/Fiber will digest easily without leaving you feeling blah or heavy for your workout. They will give you a boost of energy to carry you through your workout and digest quickly.

You need 2-3 hours (closer to 3 hours) to digest a full meal.

If you workout early in the morning you may not have the time needed to digest your meal, so keep the portion small.

A few ideas I recommend are:
½ of a banana
½ of a piece of toast (I choose Ezekiel cinnamon raisin sprouted grain bread)
½ cup of cooked oats (oatmeal)

Eat your full breakfast after your workout. Meaning a meal that contains carbohydrates/fiber, lean protein and healthy fats.

If you workout later in the day be sure to give yourself 2-3 hours (closer to 3 hours to digest your food). If it is way past that time frame and you need something to hold you over until your next meal, refer to the foods recommended above.

Why do I say no fats before a meal? Because they take a long time to digest (2-3 hours). If you have a food higher in fat (it’s not bad) you just may feel stomach discomfort and it will affect your workout.

You may be wondering about protein, yes you can incorporate some protein with the carbohydrates. You will need about 45-60 minutes to prevent any stomach discomfort.

So, what should you eat after your workout?

Be sure to have a well balanced meal including protein, healthy fats and complex carbs/fiber. How much should you eat of each macronutrient? It depends on each individual person but a good rule of thumb to follow is 40% protein, 35% carbohydrates/fiber, 25% healthy fat.

Need help with some ideas?

Here are a couple of great post workout breakfast ideas:

Protein Rich Oatmeal

½ cup dried oats
1 cup non-dairy (I like almond milk)
2 scoops Vital protein collagen peptides
1 TBSP hemp seeds
1 TBS ground flax seeds
½ TBSP chia seeds
⅓ TBSP pure honey
¼ cup chopped strawberries

Add oats and milk in a pot, let it come to a boil, stir with a spoon, lower the heat to simmer and let the milk absorb to your preferred consistency. Transfer to a bowl, add toppings, mix and enjoy!

Protein Shake & Piece of Toast with Nut Butter

1 cup non-dairy (I like almond milk)
1 scoop protein powder (my favorite it Vega All-in-One Nutritional Shake)
¼ banana
¼ cup frozen berries

Blend, serve and enjoy!

1 slice Ezekiel sprouted grain cinnamon raisin bread
1 TBSP nut butter (I prefer almond butter)

Toast a piece of bread in the toast and spread almond butter on bread.

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