You’ll need fuel before going to the gym for optimal energy and performance with the most popular options being a pre-workout shake with extra benefits combined with a pre-workout snack. Exercising provides a great outlet for promoting health and wellness, but pre-workout snacks can impact these benefits.

Finding the best pre-workout snacks is commonly found among the ingredients for optimal performance and provides mental clarity to power through a workout. The ingredients are just as important as finding a snack that provides a stable source of energy without causing stomach discomfort during your workout.

The best pre-workout snacks should be comprised of three simple but important ingredients including protein, carbs, and water (at least 20 ounces). Water can also help boost focus, strength, stamina, and speed which also helps decrease the risk of dehydration or injury during your workout. Staying hydrated is important with any workout and is highly recommended when trying out high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as you’re working out every single muscle group in your body at the same time. 

Protein plays a big role in pre-workout snacks that helps with preventing muscle breakdown and improving muscle protein synthesis. Incorporating protein in your pre-workout diet is also prevalent with HIIT training. 

Carbs play a key role with a pre-workout diet as the primary fuel for exercising muscles and providing the necessary energy for the workout. Now that you know which ingredients to look out for, here are a couple of guidelines and recommendations to find the best pre-workout snacks for you. 

An ideal pre-workout snack should be hearty but not too filling that can result in indigestion with the best option of eat an hour before your workout. This will allow your body to digest the food easily before you start your workout, but you can also eat 20-30 minutes before your workout. 

According to RDN Frances Largeman-Roth, the optimal amount of these ingredients is determined by body weight. For the recreational athlete, it’s recommended to consume 10 grams of protein and 1-2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. If you don’t use kilograms for weight measurements, you can convert your weight from pounds into kilograms and follow the recommended ingredient measurements. 

Another determining factor in finding a good pre-workout snack is the intensity and length of your workout as well as how much you have to digest leading up to your workout. There are simple snacks that can be made with simple inexpensive ingredients like cooked oatmeal, fruits, veggies, and natural grains. 

One highly recommended pre-workout snack is the Clif Builders Protein + Caffeine bars that come in a variety of delicious flavors with a serving of 29 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of plant-based protein, and 65 mg caffeine (equal to one espresso shot). These Clif Builders bars are recommended for high-intensity workouts at the gym. 

For less intensive workouts like Pilates or yoga, you can try lighter pre-workout snacks like a cup of whole milk yogurt with some granola and honey. Another simple snack is a toasted waffle with sliced fruit of your choice and peanut butter. 

A popular pre-workout snack is power bites that are packed with all the nutrients you need for your workout with several brands offering different flavors, you can pick up on your next trip to the grocery store. If you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own power bites incorporating your favorite ingredients that can be inspired by your favorite flavors and measurements from DIY recipes. 

These snacks are great for some pre-workout fuel and can also be an alternative to less healthy snacks. This is also an opportunity to explore new flavors and expand your tastes for more healthy options. 

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