3 Foods You Should Be Eating Before And After A Workout

If you’ve just started working out or your exercise regime has gone a bit flat, then making a change to your diet could be the answer. Here, we have a list of foods that you should be munching your way through before and after every workout.

BEFORE:

1. Wholegrain Toast with Sliced Bananas and Cinnamon

Before starting a workout, carbohydrates are your best friend. The wholegrain toast mixed with fruit brings a great blend of complex and simple carbs together which helps give you energy throughout your exercises. Plus, they?re really easy to digest so you won?t get that bloated feeling. Cinnamon is a useful extra if you have some after being linked with improving brain function and maintaining blood levels.

2. Smoothies

Smoothies make for a perfect quick snack on the way to the gym. Grab yourself a blender at home and chuck in some of your favourite fruits, a cup of Greek style yogurt and granola to thicken the texture a bit. If you?re buying a smoothie instead make sure to check the label to see if it?s made from whey of milk-based proteins. Remember ? between 10 to 20 grams of protein is more than enough per serving.

3. Apple Wedges with Almond Butter

Apples are a much better way to get that extra sugar before a workout compared to candy due to the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in them. Slap some almond butter on the wedges as well to prevent hunger pains from creeping in.

AFTER:

1. Vegetarian Omelette with Avocado

As mentioned in previous articles, eggs and avocados are a brilliant source of protein and fiber. This dish is packed with goodness including antioxidants and vitamins A, D, E and K ? all vital for the recovery and growth of muscles.

2. Salmon with Sweet Potato

Apart from the obvious protein benefits, salmon also contains something called bioactive peptides which help to maintain insulin levels. Sweet potatoes are full of complex carbs that replenish glycogen levels that get depleted after a workout.

3. Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk appears to be one the latest fashionable post-workout snacks which we?re not that surprised about. The ingredients have everything you need in one glass: protein and carbs for the muscles, water content to replace fluids as well as calcium, sugar and sodium. What more could you want!

So there you have it, three great foods to eat before and after working out that are bursting with key nutrients for the body. Remember, eating right is just as important as putting in the hard yards at the gym.