Eating healthy is the key to a healthy lifestyle. If you’re an avid fitness enthusiast, then knowing what to eat before, during and after your workout is essential for getting the most out of your efforts. Having the right fuel can help your body perform at its peak and ensure you get the most out of your workouts. Here are some tips for making sure you’re fueling your body with the best healthy fitness meal for a successful workout.
Before Your Workout
Eating before exercise provides your body with energy so that it can push through any challenges that come its way. It’s important to eat a meal that contains complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats as these will provide your body with sustained energy throughout your workout. Some good pre-workout meal options include oatmeal with nuts or seeds, whole grain toast with nut butter and banana slices, or yogurt with berries and granola. A smoothie made with fruits, veggies, protein powder, nut butter and milk is also an excellent choice.
During Your Workout
For intense workouts lasting longer than an hour it’s important to refuel during the session in order to keep your energy levels up. Consuming carbohydrates during exercise helps maintain blood sugar levels which will help prevent fatigue and keep you going strong until the end of your session. A great mid-workout snack is half a sweet potato topped with almond butter or a banana or apple with some peanut butter spread on top. These snacks are nutrient packed and will give you just enough energy to power through those last few reps!
After Your Workout
The best food to consume post-workout is something rich in protein as this helps repair muscle tissue that was broken down during exercise. After intense workouts it’s also important to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat so having something like coconut water or low sodium vegetable broth is recommended as well. Some great post-workout meals include grilled chicken breast over quinoa cooked in vegetable broth, salmon over roasted potatoes sprinkled with sea salt, or a hardboiled egg on top of toast spread with hummus and avocado slices .
Conclusion: Eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult when you know what types of food will fuel each stage of your workout routine from start to finish! Making sure you have the right fuel in between sets can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most out of each session so plan ahead and make sure you have nutritious snacks prepared for every stage of exercise! Lifestyle Foodies has all sorts of delicious recipes perfect for any time of day - whether before, during or after a workout - so check us out today if you're looking for more delicious ways to stay fit and healthy!