All my friends and clients know I am “All About FOOD!” 🙂
For the most part the average person working out for overall general health (or even weight loss) 5-6 days per week (45-60 minutes) can their save money on supplements, shakes, bars, drinks, etc. Myself included.
The body prefers food over something manufactured any day. The body absorbs ~90-100% of nutrients from food. This percentage goes down to about ~50-70% in supplements.
Pre-Post Meal Options
Meals should contain all energy yielding nutrients: Carbs, Protein and Fats!
When a meal is serving as your pre workout fuel, give body about 2-3 hours for digestion.
I also recommend eating a snack (or meal) within an 1 to 2 hour after workout. Within an hour is best for maximum muscle building and recovery.
Morning Pre- or Post- meal
Old Fashioned Oatmeal
½ cup dry (40 gm) oats (may substitute for 1/4 cup steel cut oats. No difference in nutrients, just personal preference)
8 oz water or 1% milk*
1 whole egg
*Include 8 oz milk with meal if cooking with water
Afternoon Pre- or Post- meal
Turkey and Cheese Sandwich
2 slices of Whole Wheat bread (80-90 calories per slice)
2 oz Boar’s Head lower sodium turkey or chicken
1 slice reduced fat cheese
Lettuce/Tomato/Mayo/Mustard, if desired
8 oz 1% milk
1 piece/serving of fruit
*Milk/Dairy substitutes that provide equal nutrients as cow’s milk are Soymilk and Lactose Free milk. Almond milk, rice milk and the like are not substitutes for dairy from a nutrition standpoint.
Evening Pre- or Post- meal
1/3 to ½ cup cooked brown rice
½ cup black beans or 3 oz sweet/red potatoes
1 small dinner roll (optional)
1 cup cooked vegetables
3-4 oz cooked lean protein (salmon, 90% lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, chicken, etc)
Note: These are general recommendations. Serving sizes will vary per individual.
Essential Keys to Fueling Body Before/After a Workout
The key to keeping energy levels up all day is taking in adequate calories prior to and after workouts. This way you’re always ready rather than trying to take down a supplement at the last minute. In many cases, the supplement is not providing the energy being marketed.
***Do you find yourself going into your workouts sluggish or pushing yourself midway through? Inbox me directly and we can talk specifically about how to boost your energy levels and revive up your metabolism with food
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