What to Eat Before and After a Workout?
What you eat around your workout can make a noticeable difference to how energised you feel during exercise and how well you refuel afterwards. Whether you are heading to the gym before work, squeezing in a lunchtime session or training in the evening, your food choices do not need to be complicated.
Before exercise, the aim is usually to eat something that gives you energy without leaving you feeling too full. After training, the focus shifts towards replenishing energy, getting enough protein and staying hydrated. If you have been wondering what to eat before & after a workout, this guide will help you build a simple routine that fits around your day.
AUTHOR
SHARE
IN THIS POST
- What Should You Eat Before a Workout?
- How Long Before the Gym Should You Eat?
- What Is a Good After Gym Snack?
- What Snack to Eat After Gym When You Are Busy
- Why Protein Matters After Exercise
- A Savoury Alternative to Protein Bars and Shakes
- Should You Eat Carbohydrates After a Workout?
- What About Hydration?
- What to Eat Before a Morning Workout
- What to Eat After an Evening Workout
- What If You Are Trying to Eat More Protein?
- Keeping Workout Nutrition Simple
What Should You Eat Before a Workout?
Before a workout, many people benefit from eating foods that contain carbohydrates because carbohydrates are one of the body's main sources of energy during exercise. The amount you need will depend on the type of training you are doing, how long you plan to exercise and when you last ate.
If you are eating a proper meal a few hours before training, something like porridge with banana, eggs on toast, chicken with rice, yoghurt with fruit and oats, or a jacket potato with a protein source can work well. These meals can provide energy without requiring specialist sports products.
If you are heading to the gym sooner and do not want a full meal, a smaller snack may be more comfortable. A banana, toast with peanut butter, Greek yoghurt, rice cakes or a small bowl of porridge can all be practical options. The goal is to choose something that gives you energy without feeling heavy while you train.
How Long Before the Gym Should You Eat?
There is no perfect timing that works for everyone. Some people feel comfortable eating relatively close to training, while others prefer to leave more time between a meal and exercise.
If you are having a larger meal, eating around two to four hours before your workout can give you time to digest it. If you are only having a light snack, you may prefer to eat closer to your session. Your own comfort is important, so it is worth finding a routine that works with your body and your training schedule.
What Is a Good After Gym Snack?
If you have searched “what is a good after gym snack?”, the best answer is usually something that is convenient, enjoyable and contains nutrients that fit your overall diet.
After training, many people look for a source of protein alongside carbohydrates. Protein contributes to the maintenance and growth of muscle mass, while carbohydrates can help replenish the energy used during exercise.
A good after-gym snack could be Greek yoghurt with fruit, eggs on toast, cottage cheese with crackers, a chicken wrap, tuna on toast or biltong paired with fruit or another carbohydrate source. The most useful option is often the one you can realistically keep eating consistently.
What Snack to Eat After Gym When You Are Busy
Knowing what snack to eat after gym becomes more important when you are heading straight to work, commuting home or simply do not have time to prepare another meal.
This is where portable snacks can be particularly useful. For example, biltong with a banana gives you a convenient combination of protein and carbohydrates. Greek yoghurt with fruit can work if you have access to a fridge, while eggs on toast may be a better option if you are training at home.
You do not have to eat the moment your final set is finished. Your overall food intake across the day matters more than racing to eat within a few minutes of your workout. However, if your next proper meal is still several hours away, having something convenient after training can help bridge the gap.
Why Protein Matters After Exercise
Protein is an important part of an active person's diet because it contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. That is why protein-rich foods are commonly included in post-workout meals and snacks.
You can get protein from foods such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, beans, pulses and tofu. Protein shakes can also be convenient, but they are not the only option.
For people who are going directly from the gym to work or continuing with a busy day, carrying a full chicken and rice meal around may not always be practical. A smaller, portable protein snack can be much easier to fit into your routine.
Should You Eat Carbohydrates After a Workout?
Protein often receives most of the attention when people talk about post-workout nutrition, but carbohydrates can also be useful after exercise. Your body uses stored carbohydrate during training, particularly during longer or more demanding sessions.
Foods such as bananas, oats, rice, potatoes, bread, wraps, pasta and fruit can provide carbohydrates after your workout. Pairing these foods with a protein source can create a simple post-workout meal or snack.
For example, you could have biltong with fruit, eggs on toast, Greek yoghurt with berries and oats, chicken with rice or tuna with a baked potato. There is no need to make your post-workout nutrition unnecessarily complicated.
A Savoury Alternative to Protein Bars and Shakes
- A lot of protein snacks are designed around sweet flavours such as chocolate, caramel, cookies and cream or brownie. If you enjoy sweet snacks, that gives you plenty of choice. But sometimes you simply want something savoury.
- Hi Protein Biltong offers a convenient savoury alternative made with British beef. Each 35g pack contains 17g of protein, making it easy to keep a pack in your gym bag, desk drawer or car for when you want something quick after training.
- There is no shaker to clean, no powder to measure and no need to prepare another meal. You can simply open the pack, eat it and get on with the rest of your day.
What About Hydration?
Food is only one part of your workout routine. Your body also loses fluid when you exercise, particularly during harder sessions, longer workouts or warm weather.
Drinking water regularly throughout the day and having water available during and after exercise can help you stay hydrated. The exact amount you need will vary depending on your body size, how intensely you exercise, the temperature and how much you sweat.
What to Eat Before a Morning Workout
Morning training can be slightly different because you may not feel like eating a full meal immediately after waking up. Some people prefer to train before breakfast, while others feel better after eating something small.
If you prefer eating before your workout, a banana, slice of toast, small bowl of porridge, yoghurt or a couple of rice cakes can be easy options. You can then have a larger breakfast once your training is finished.
For example, you might have a banana before training and eggs on toast afterwards. Alternatively, you could eat a small bowl of porridge beforehand and have Greek yoghurt with fruit after your session.
What to Eat After an Evening Workout
If you train after work, your evening meal may naturally become your post-workout meal. Chicken with rice and vegetables, beef with potatoes, salmon with rice, pasta with a protein source or an omelette with toast can all work well.
However, if there is going to be a long gap between leaving the gym and eating dinner, a small snack can be useful. Keeping something such as biltong in your gym bag gives you a savoury option that you can eat without preparation while travelling home.
What If You Are Trying to Eat More Protein?
Many people find it difficult to increase their daily protein intake because they assume they need to add another full meal to their day. In reality, spreading protein across your regular meals and snacks can often make things easier.
You might have eggs or Greek yoghurt at breakfast, chicken or tuna at lunch, biltong as an afternoon or post-workout snack and fish, beef, chicken or another protein source at dinner. Smaller additions throughout the day can feel more manageable than trying to squeeze in one large additional meal.
Keeping Workout Nutrition Simple
When deciding what to eat before & after a workout, it is usually better to keep things practical. Before training, choose foods that provide energy and feel comfortable in your stomach. After training, think about protein, carbohydrates, fluids and what the rest of your day's meals will look like.
If you are trying to work out what snack to eat after gym, convenience matters just as much as nutrition. The best snack is one that fits your routine, tastes good and is easy enough to have when you actually need it.
For people who prefer savoury snacks to another sweet bar or shake, Hi Protein Biltong offers a simple option made from seasoned British beef, with 17g of protein in each 35g pack.
Train. Refuel. Get on with your day.
You can also buy 21 packs of 35g biltong in bulk and enjoy free UK delivery.
