Before:
Gearing up for a big trip to the gym? Try eating these foods beforehand to give you the energy to power through your workout, build muscle, and burn fat faster. Of course, don’t forget to drink plenty of water and chow down on one of these about thirty minutes before exercising.
- Fruit and nut bar: These tiny-but-tasty bars are full of nutritional value. Nuts give you protein and the sweet fruits in these bars give you boosts of energy in the form of sugar to keep you going. But make sure that sugar isn’t artificially added, or it may end up making you feel sluggish instead.
- Greek yogurt and trail mix: This yummy workout snack will help you lose weight and give you the energy to make it through some tough conditioning thanks to the protein in Greek yogurt and complex carbohydrates found in healthy trail mix. Luckily, it’s also easy on your stomach so you don’t have to worry about feeling weighed down.
- Banana and peanut butter on whole wheat bread: Probably one of the most common workout foods, bananas are full of digestible carbohydrates and packed with potassium, which gives you fuel for hitting the gym. Bread and peanut butter provide the protein needed to fuel your muscles to the max.
After:
Congrats—you made it through your workout! Now you should reward yourself and your body by trying these foods that help speed up the process of building muscle and burning fat. Hungry yet?
- Grilled chicken with vegetables: This protein-packed snack will fill you up, thanks to the combination of protein and healthy starches, and pack your body with the nutrients it needs to recover.
- Smoothies: This delicious drink is a great reward—as long as it’s filled with fruit and protein powder and not added sugar. Try putting avocado in your blender to satisfy your hunger for longer while assisting your muscle’s recuperation.
- Hummus with a whole grain pita: Try this snack to repair muscle tissue and help speed your workout recovery. A healthy alternative to meat, hummus has a great nutritional value and is filling enough to satisfy your hunger after a workout, without all of the potentially fatty calories that comes with meat.
by Sarah Basile