10 Pre-Workout Snack Ideas
Even if you’re not an athlete, you might benefit from a pre-workout snack. Eating something small 30-60 minutes before your workout can help give you more energy and improve performance and recovery. Here are 10 pre-workout snack ideas created by a registered dietitian to help fuel your active lifestyle!
Benefits of a Pre-Workout Snack
Eating a snack 30-60 min before a workout can benefit you in a few ways:
- Helps give you more energy during your workout
- Improves performance and endurance during the workout
- Reduces muscle breakdown during the workout because you utilize more of the food you ate for carbs and protein instead of your own muscle stores
- Improves post-workout recovery
These snacks should mainly be composed of carbohydrates that digest quickly to give you an instant boost of energy. Including a little bit of protein along with those carbs helps prevent muscle breakdown.
The 10 Pre-Workout Snack Ideas
1. PB&J Toast
1 slice toast + 1 tbsp peanut butter + 1 tbsp strawberry jam (31 g carb, 7 g protein)
2. banana & almond butter
1 medium banana + 1 tbsp almond butter (30 g carb, 7 g protein)
3. Stuffed dates
2 medjool dates + 1 tbsp peanut butter (39 g carb, 5 g protein)
4. Strawberry & banana smoothie
1 cup strawberries + 1 frozen banana + 1/2 cup Greek yogurt + 1 cup almond milk (45 g carb, 15 g protein)
5. grapes & cheese stick
1 cup grapes + 1 low fat string cheese (27 g carb, 9 g protein)
6. Peanut butter & banana rice cakes
2 rice cakes + 1 tbsp peanut butter + 1/2 banana, sliced (32 g carb, 6 g protein)
7. yogurt bowl
1/2 cup Greek yogurt + 1/2 cup raspberries + 1/3 cup granola (36 g carb, 16 g protein)
8. apple & peanut butter
1 medium apple + 1 tbsp peanut butter (29 g carb, 4 g protein)
9. cereal & milk
1 cup cheerios + 1/2 cup 2% milk + 1/2 banana, sliced (39 g carb, 8 g protein)
10. chocolate banana protein shake
1 cup almond milk + 2 tbsp chocolate whey protein + 1 frozen banana + 1 cup ice (29 g carb, 15 g protein)
Whether you’re a gym-goer or an outdoor activity lover, I hope this list of snack ideas gives you some inspiration for fueling your activities! Leave a comment below what your favorite pre-workout snacks are! If you’re looking for more snack ideas in general, check out this list of 10 high protein, high fiber snacks.
