What do you eat before your workout? Does your meal selection change when you have a race or is it always the same? What healthy protein sources do you eat before and after your workouts to provide you energy, satisfy your cravings and help you recover? None, you may say, well why not? Your fuel is critical in helping your muscle fiber to repair itself and it could help you in injury prevention. Most people are just not sure what and when to eat, so let me help you with this. As a certified trainer helping countless clients train for races and achieve their personal best, let me share with you the healthy protein sources you should be fueling your body with before and after your workouts:
1. Eggs
If you can tolerate eggs before your workout, this is a great fuel, especially if you add a half slice of whole wheat bread for some carbohydrates. I usually have 2-3 scrambled or hard boiled eggs to provide my body with the protein needed to repair torn muscle fiber. Do you eat eggs for a source of your lean protein? Make sure you eat eggs because this is one of the healthiest protein sources you can eat.
2. Lean Meat
Lean meat like chicken, fish or turkey can be eaten before your workout but it actually provides the most benefit after your workout because it helps repair muscle fiber, rebuild tissue and lower muscle soreness. This is all helpful in helping you perform and feel at your best!
3. Apple And Cheese
You can even have some cheese after your workout, just go easy on the portion size since cheese is higher in fat but provides the necessary protein to help aid in recovery. I like to have this with an apple before my races and I perform optimally by this small source of fuel. Apples provide just the right dose of natural sugar and pectin to get me going and the protein of the cheese keeps me satisfied through my race. What do you eat before a race?
4. Greek Yogurt
You can enjoy a Greek yogurt with fresh fruit like berries since they are lower in sugar and provide your body with antioxidants to help you recover quicker from your workouts. Greek yogurt is a healthy protein source that actually tastes great!
5. Nuts
All nuts are healthy and are a great snack before or after your workouts. This is a good protein source but heed caution in only having a handful of nuts because they are high in calories and fat. Portion control is critical when snacking on nuts.
6. Brown Rice And Beans
Brown rice and beans are a perfect combination of a healthy grain and lean protein sure to help you recover well after your challenging workouts. This meal is not recommended before a workout because beans speed up the digestive process, which is the last thing you want to do when you are working out, but this is a dynamite meal to have between 30 minutes to an hour after your workout.
7. Quinoa And Veggies
First of all I cannot say enough about quinoa because I love this healthy grain. It is a great protein source and it tastes great. You can have this before or after your workout with minced veggies, served warm. If you have this after your workout it will aid muscle recovery, increase cellular production and have you feeling ready for your next workout!
