58 Easy Pre-Workout and Post-Workout Snacks

You’ve heard it before: abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. Or you can’t out exercise a bad diet. You get the picture – the proper nutrition is critical in having the body you’ve always wanted. In fact, fitness professionals often talk about how getting your dream body is 30% gym and 70% diet – it’s that important.

For most people working out is the easier part, but eating right can be easy too, when you know what to do – a little planning goes a long way. Look, just because nutrition is important – critical – doesn’t mean it has to be hard, and having the body you’ve always wanted is so worth it.

To help make it as easy as possible for you to eat right (and get the best body you can have along the way), we’ve gathered up some of the easiest, tastiest, pre-workout and post-workout snacks – enjoy!

Why You Need Pre-Workout and Post-Workout Meals

In two words: fuel and recovery. Your pre-workout meal fuels your workout and your post-workout meal is crucial to getting all the nutrients your body needs to recover. Fitness lore has held that the post-workout nutrition is the most important; however, new research indicates that your pre-workout nutrition may be just as important – cover both bases and aim to get high-quality pre-workout and post-workout snacks.

There’s also evidence that it’s not just what you eat either, timing is critical – there’s a metabolic window after a heavy workout, which is the best time to get nutrients into your body. During this time, your body will transport the carbs and protein to your muscle instead of storing them as fat, so you want to make sure you get your post-workout snack during that time.

The basic idea is that you want to get some carbs (for fuel) and lean protein (to build muscle) before and after your workout – you generally want low-GI carbs before your workout and moderate to high-GI carbs after your workout (to replenish glycogen stores). In addition, you want to get your pre-workout meal 120 – 15 minutes before; 20 – 30 minutes after the workout for your post-workout meal, the sooner, the better.

Now that you know the ‘why’ (the basics at least) let’s move on to the snacks – mmmmm, yummy!

Pre-Workout Snacks

Something to keep in mind, the closer it is to your workout the less protein you want and the more carbs you want to get – simple, higher glycemic index carbs are better at this point. Eating complex carbs and protein too close to a workout could lead to indigestion, so if you’ve only got 5 minutes before your workout keep it simple. You also want to avoid fatty and high-fiber (insoluble) foods, since both take longer to digest and can leave you feeling sluggish.

What you could do is have a complex carb and protein snack 60 minutes before your workout and then follow it up with a small simple carb snack (e.g. a piece of fruit) just before your workout for an immediate energy boost.

Pre-Workout Snacks

Workout is in 15 – 30 minutes

Eat a small serving of simple carbs; avoid eating a big serving of protein or carbs.

1. Yogurt

2. Raisins

3. Energy gel

4. Shot of coffee

5. Dark chocolate

6. Banana

Workout is in 30 – 60 minutes

Eat a 150 calorie snack with complex carbs and some protein; low in fat and fibre

7. Protein shake

8. Yogurt and almonds

9. Apple and peanut butter

10. Chocolate milk and banana

11. Whole grain bagel and jelly

12. String cheese and crackers

13. Whole grain bread and almond butter

14. Humus and veggies

15. Cheese and carrots

16. Cereal, milk and banana

17. Bagel with cottage cheese

18. Nuts and dried fruit / trail mix

19. Ezekial toast and peanut butter

20. Almonds

21. Banana and peanut butter

22. Energy bar

23. Pita and hummus

24. Cottage cheese and crackers

25. Sweet potato

26. Whole-grain fig bars

27. Rye crackers, cottage cheese and fruit

28. English muffin and almond butter

Workout is in 60 – 120 minutes

Eat a 300 to 400 calorie meal high in complex carbs and moderate amount of protein; low in fat and fibre.

29. Chocolate milk, peanut butter and whole grain bread

30. Tuna pasta

31. Quinoa and grilled chicken

32. Cinamon oatmeal and peanut butter

33. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

34. Hard-boiled eggs

35. Grilled chicken and lentils

36. Turkey sandwich

37. Chicken noodle soup

Post-Workout Snacks

Most importantly you want to get hydrated to replace water lost through exercise. Your post-workout meal is going to give your body the nutrients it needs to recover and refuel after your workout. Aim to get carbs and protein within 60 minutes of your workout, when your metabolic state is primed for recovery and repair – this will help you replenish your glycogen stores (fuel) and increase protein synthesis (lean muscle).

38. Protein shake

39. Cottage cheese and fruit

40. Sweet potato with cottage cheese

41. Poached eggs and whole-wheat toast

42. Stir-fried chicken and veggies with brown rice

43. Pasta wich chicken, broccoli and eggplant

44. Whole-grain cereal with milk and a banana

45. Vegetable omelet

46. Spelt and chickpea salad

47. Hummus with whole-wheat pita and vegetables

48. Oatmeal with almond butter and banana

49. Smoothie with whey protein, milk, banana and ice

50. Greek yogurt with fruit and handful of granola

51. Scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast

52. Bean wrap: beans, hummus and pita

53. Whole-grain bagel with egg whites

54. Protein pancakes

55. Cheese and crackers

56. Egg salad

57. Baked salmon and asparagus

58. Egg white and spinach omelette

That’s it for our pre-workout and post-workout snack collection; they should keep you well fueled on your journey to being healthy and looking fantastic. A couple of last-minute tips:

• Remember to stay hydrated – studies have found that water affects your athletic performance.
• Keep a food and exercise journal – this helps you keep track of which snacks work best for you (and which ones to avoid).

What are your favorite workout snacks? Let us know in the comments below!

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