FIND YOUR GO-TO PRE- ANDPOST-WORKOUT SNACKS

WHEN IT COMES to enjoying a healthy life and meeting your fitness and wellness goals, diet and exercise go hand in hand. Knowing what to eat before and after your workouts can give you the energy you need to get the most out of your time and support post-exercise recovery so you can reap the benefits of your efforts.

To be very general, it comes down to having an optimal balance of protein and carbs. The ratio varies a bit depending on the type of physical activity and how soon before or after you’re eating, but once you get into a good routine, you’ll find that it’s pretty intuitive. You also want to pay attention to hydration and make sure to replenish lost electrolytes (electrically charged minerals and compounds that are essential for normal body functions—a few common ones are sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium) if you’re doing intense activity, but the good news is that for your everyday workouts, you don’t need to buy lots of expensive products—in most cases, everyday foods will cover your bases just fine. Bottom line: The better you feel, the more motivated you’ll be to keep a good thing going, and the proper fuel can help.

What to Eat Before a Workout

Not being adequately fueled could cause you to lose steam earlier or keep you from performing at your peak potential. This is absolutely key if you’re doing something intense like cardio (think: running, swimming, or cycling), strength training, or something like martial arts, dance, or a class where there are many repetitive movements and you’ll be exerting a lot of energy.

While you can often get away with skipping a snack if you’re doing a lower-intensity activity first thing in the morning or within a couple hours of your last meal, you’re still going to get the most energy bang for your buck if you eat a little something beforehand. And don’t forget to hydrate, especially if you’re going to be sweating a lot.

Carbs are the star of the pre-workout show, because our bodies need the glucose they provide for energy. As a general rule, you want to eat easily digestible carbohydrates before a workout. Be careful with high-fiber, high-protein, and high-fat foods if you’re eating less than an hour before your workout, since they can cause GI discomfort. If you’ve got an hour or more before your workout, protein will give you some staying power.

Many fitness and health care professionals break it down into grams of carbohydrate and protein. Here’s a formula that can be a helpful guide:

• Thirty minutes before: 15-30 grams of carbohydrate, minimal protein; or a 3:1 carbs to protein ratio (so if your snack has up to 5 grams of protein, then aim for 15 grams of carbs). You don’t need to overload protein—it’s been shown that the body can’t absorb more than about 20-30 grams in one meal.

• One hour before: 30-70 grams of carbohydrates, or a 2:1 carbs to protein ratio

• Two hours before: Have a normal, balanced meal

That said, your needs may vary, so if you find that you’re having trouble finding your sweet spot, check in with a sports dietitian or a trainer who’s certified in sports nutrition.

What It Looks Like in Real Life

Here are a few examples of pre-workout foods to try. In each category, any one of the bulleted examples would cover your nutritional needs.

Thirty minutes before:

• A large banana or two small pieces of fruit

• A slice of toast with one tablespoon of jam or hummus

• A quarter cup of dried fruit

• Half a nut-and-fruit-based bar

Sixty minutes before:

• A PB&J sandwich

• A piece of fruit with a tablespoon of nut butter

• Two pieces of toast and a cooked egg

• One cup of a low-fiber cereal with 1 cup of milk or three-quarters cup of plain yogurt

• Half a cup of cooked oatmeal made with milk or topped with a tablespoon of nut butter

• A quarter cup of trail mix made with nuts and dried fruit or a nut-and-fruit bar

• One medium sweet potato topped with 1 tablespoon of nut butter

All that said, if you have a go-to pre-workout snack that doesn’t fit those guidelines, what matters most is that it works for you and helps you meet your goals.

What to Eat After a Workout

After a workout, protein is super important. It helps provide the amino acids your body needs to repair and rebuild. You still need carbs, though, to help replenish the body’s glycogen stores (glycogen is a complex carbohydrate comprised of several glucose molecules). Just be sure to choose ones that will provide lots of nutrients, such as minimally processed whole grains, beans, and other complex carbs like starchy veggies (sweet potato, corn) and fruit. Milk is actually another source of carbohydrates, thanks to the lactose in there.

If you’re feeling super hungry after a tough workout, be mindful of how you refuel. You just put in a lot of hard work, so show your body some love with foods that will nourish it. You might have burned a lot of calories, but when replenishing them, your body will definitely notice the difference between, say, 200 calories of a well-balanced snack and 200 calories from a sugary coffee drink.

You don’t have to make yourself crazy over timing and grams of protein and carbs, but aim for a mix of the two, and ideally, eat something within an hour after completing your workout. What’s most important, though, is to refuel before you hit that point where you’re, like, “I’m so hungry and wiped out I’m just going to curl up here on the floor and cry.” You also don’t need to be chugging giant recovery smoothies or eating expensive protein bars after a workout.

Prioritize what makes you feel satisfied and fits into the context of your day. For example, if you work out in the morning but it makes more sense for you to have breakfast at your desk, have a small post-workout snack like protein powder shaken up with water or even a latte or cappuccino, which provides both carbs and protein if you have it made with cow’s milk. Have Breakfast Part 2 later in the morning, when it’s more convenient. Again, I really do believe that the body is smart and lets us know what feels good, but generally speaking, a good meal to eat after your average workout would include protein, some fiber-rich complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

If numbers are helpful, aim for a 3:1 or a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein. For example, a peanut butter sandwich would give you roughly 30 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein.

Snack Ideas:

• A piece of fruit and a hard-boiled egg or piece of cheese

• A slice of toast with peanut butter or an egg

• 8 ounces milk

• Whole grain cereal with milk

• 6 ounces of plain yogurt with half a banana or half a cup of berries

Meal Ideas:

• A veggie omelet and whole wheat toast or half a cup of roasted sweet potato

• Oatmeal with ground flax, fruit, and 2 tablespoons of nuts or 1 tablespoon of nut butter

• A small whole wheat wrap with egg or egg whites and veggies

• Plain Greek yogurt with fruit and honey and almond slivers

• A smoothie with fruit and milk (add protein powder if you’re using a low-protein plant-based milk like almond or coconut)

• Half a cup of beans, brown rice, quinoa, or other whole grains or starchy vegetables with green veggies and a serving of meat, fish, or an egg, plus a quarter of an avocado or a tablespoon of tahini for healthy fat

• A sandwich made with whole wheat bread and lean protein such as turkey, ham, or chicken

Over time, you’ll find the options that’ll work for you. Listen to your body. It does so much to take care of you, so return the favor.