Top 10 Best Foods to Eat Before a Workout

Healthy eating habits are essential for a meaningful workout. Whether you’re off to a weightlifting session or running a few miles for cardio, it is necessary to fill your body with enough energy that will last you throughout your workout. It is generally advisable to have a full meal around 2 hours before a workout to ensure that you are at your optimum energy level when you exercise. However, there are also some instances wherein your schedule may not be as accommodating. Nonetheless, you’ll still need to eat something before you work out.

Here are the 10 best food items to eat right before a workout to give you the energy boost that you’ll need:

• Chocolate (1 snack-sized bar): bioactive compounds phenylethylamine and tyramine in chocolate are excellent energy boosters.
• Carbohydrate energy gels (1 packet): these easy to digest gels don’t contain any fat and packs loads of concentrated carbs.
• Bananas (1 medium-sized): the potassium in bananas facilitate in proper muscle and nerve functions.
• Trail mix (half a cup with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts): contains a lot of zinc and phosphorous for extra energy and muscle healing.
• Yogurt (8 ounces, low-fat): aside from a boost of energy, the magnesium found in yogurt also helps the body’s metabolic process.
• Energy bars (1 bar): look for bars that are packed with carbohydrates (i.e. Gatorade bar).
• Oatmeal (1 cup): the fiber in oatmeal helps gradually release carbs in your body for sustained energy levels Almonds (12 pieces): monounsaturated fats in almonds are superb energy boosters.
• Pasta (½ cup, cooked whole-wheat): lots of complex carbs that helps increase glycogen (stored energy) in the muscles.
• Lentils (1 cup, boiled): Low in calories and fat but will boost your energy because of the presence of copper, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, fiber, protein, and carbs.