What to eat before you exercise (Fitness)

What to eat before you exercise

Eating the right food before you exercise is a key factor in getting a good workout. Here are some favourite pre-workout snacks from Best Health readers.

Yogurt and granola

"I like a small bowl of low-fat yogurt, fresh berries, granola cereal and small mixed nuts and raisins—it gets me through every time!"

Apples and cheese

"I usually have half a granny smith apple cut into 3 with a slice of old cheddar cheese for each piece of apple. It's the perfect combo of sweet and salty, plus a balance of carbs, protein and fat. Very satisfying!"

Cottage cheese

"My favourite pre-workout snack is a bowl of low-fat cottage cheese with walnut pieces, a chopped up banana, a sprinkle of ground flaxseed with a bit of honey drizzled on top. It's my version of a healthy sundae!"

"I love a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese topped with no-salt sunflower seeds. It's creamy and crunchy at the same time."

Peanut butter

"I have an apple with peanut butter, or a piece of whole wheat bread with peanut butter and half of a banana cut up on top."
– Kristen

"I eat a piece of whole-wheat bread with a little spread of natural peanut butter, or sometimes I grab a handful of almonds. I try to chose healthy options that are light on my stomach before heading out to work out."
– Angela

"I often run with a group at 6 pm on weeknights. I usually have my pre-run snack on my way home from work at 4:30. My favourite and most effective pre-run snack is a peanut butter and banana torpedo: a tortilla smothered with peanut butter rolled around a banana. It's easy to prepare in the morning, very packable and oh soo yummy and fulfilling!"

– Yolande Moreau

Banana

"I like to have a banana, a handful of raw almonds and water."
– Kirsten

Larabars

"Larabars are my ultimate pre and post workout snack. I just wrote about them and why I love them in my own blog."
– Kirsten

Homemade trail mix

"I prepare a mixture of pine nuts, almonds, walnuts and raisins plus some slices of carrots, celery and orange"
– Terry

A glass of milk

"I usually grab a handful of almonds and a banana, washed down with a small glass of milk or yogurt smoothie. Love those new Astro smoothies in the little bottles, great booster for starting the day."
– KittyPride

Melon and fruit

"On Tuesdays and Thursdays I do a really intense class combining martial arts/self defense moves and a circuit training aspect. I can't eat anything RIGHT before class, but about an hour before I'll eat a bowl of watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and grapes—gives you enough natural sugars for energy and lots of water so it doesn't sit heavy in your stomach while you work out!"
– Siobhan

Cereal

"I find I need to eat a couple of hours before I run to avoid getting a stitch in my side. I like to eat Kashi GoLean cereal with some blueberries and skim milk, followed by a small spoon of peanut butter (all peanuts, no sugar)."
– Jane Langille

Granola bar

"A banana and granola bar works best, some almonds too if i have 'em. Used to be a chunk of cheese or some fruit and yogurt before I turned out to be lactose intolerant!"
– Liz

Smoothies

"I golf every Tuesday night in a women's league and have to rush home from work to get changed and have a quick bite before I head out again. There isn't a lot of time to have a meal beforehand. I'll whip up a quick smoothie which usually consists of a variety of frozen fruit, yogurt, honey, mango juice or any juice I might have on hand and alongside that I'll have several dark chocolate chip flax cookies which I always buy at my local grocery store and are my fave! This snack gets me through my golf game without bogging me down." 
– Lynne Clarke

Coffee

"I run four times a week and my favourite pre-run snack is a fuji apple cut up with natural peanut butter on top. You get the best of both worlds: protein in your peanut butter and carbs from your apple. I also always have a cup of coffee for that extra energy boost!"
– RunRiz