What you eat before a workout can influence how you feel both during and after. If you’ve ever had a workout where you lost steam shortly into it or you experienced indigestion, chances are you didn’t have the right foods beforehand.
Trying to exercise without fueling correctly is like driving a car when the gas tank is empty, it just doesn’t work!
Fueling yourself with a balanced snack provides you with longer-lasting energy to get you through your workout. This leads to a more enjoyable workout and bigger results.
But, what should you eat before you workout - carbs or protein? Well, both are equally important! Both carbs and protein serve an important purpose for physical activity.
Carbs give you that initial fuel and quick boost of energy to get into your workout, and protein helps to rebuild and repair your muscles as they are working.
Protein is especially important pre-workout when you are planning on strength training.
Protein-containing foods are broken down into smaller parts called amino acids when they are digested. These amino acids provide direct energy to your muscles.
Ideally, your pre-workout snack should contain around 5-10 grams of protein and 15 grams of carb.
To give enough time to digest, I suggest having your snack 45-60 minutes prior to getting started.
Here are 6 of the best pre-workout snacks that will make you feel on top of the world during your workouts.
1. Chomps Original Beef Jerky
CHOMPS Original Beef Jerky Sticks are an ideal pre-workout food. Our delicious beef jerky provides 9 grams of protein per stick and only 90 calories. This is the perfect combination for someone looking for longer-lasting energy from protein.
If it’s been more than an hour since you ate a meal, pair the jerky with a small handful of dried fruit for a bit of quick-digesting carbs.
2. Peanut Butter & Toast
A slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter is a perfect pre-workout snack. The complex carbs from the bread give you both a short and long-term energy boost, as they are slowly digested in your body.
The peanut butter provides 5 grams of protein per serving to help fuel your muscles before your workout.
3. Apple with Almond Butter
An apple with almond butter provides the ideal combo of protein and carbs needed for sustained energy. The apple is a source of carbs that converts to energy, and the almond butter is the protein source.
4. Greek Yogurt with Berries
Greek yogurt is the ultimate pre-workout snack - both high in protein and convenient. Sprinkle in a small handful of berries for a carb boost, and choose plain yogurt to limit added sugars.
5. Nuts with Dried Fruit
Portion out a handful of nuts and dried fruit for another easy pre-workout snack. The nuts provide slow-releasing high quality protein, while the dried fruit provides quick-digesting carbs for that initial energy boost needed.
Since nuts are calorie-dense, stick with a small handful for portion control.
6. Chomps Italian-Style Beef Chomplings
Our Italian-Style Beef Chomplings come with the same delicious taste as our Regular Chomps products, but are packed into a mini-sized stick!
They provide 4 grams of grass-fed protein per serving and contain just 40 calories. Pair a chompling with a handful of dried fruit for the perfect protein and carb combo!
Staying properly fueled with the right pre-workout snacks will keep your energy levels steady, so you experience amazing results.
Whether you’re following a keto diet, paleo diet, or are currently on the Whole 30 Challenge, our CHOMPS products are naturally high in protein, sugar-free, and low in calories.
This high-protein low-calorie combination makes CHOMPS an ideal pre-workout snack, especially if you’re watching your weight. Shop the store to view all products and see what’s best for you.
