pre-workout foods

How you space out meals during the course of the day might not make a big difference in the calorie department, but it has huge implications on your workout performance. Not only can ineffectively fueling your body hinder your performance, but also, eating too much before exercise can also interfere with your goals. When it comes to eating before exercise, it's all about timing.

No matter what time of day you choose to exercise, make sure to plan your workout two to three hours after your meal. Going overboard with too much food right before a workout will leave you feeling sluggish and can lead to stomach discomfort. The last thing you want is your workout habits to hinder your digestion process.

If it's been a few hours since your last meal, however, then most experts agree that you should eat a small snack one hour before your workout to properly fuel your body. A combination of carbs and a little protein, all under 200 calories, will do the trick. If you're not sure what constitutes a good choice, then check out these healthy pre-workout snacks for inspiration. And if you're going for an early workout session, then remember that exercising on an empty stomach — even when you first wake up — is a bad idea. It might feel tough to eat first thing in the morning, but fueling your body with proper nutrients is essential for your workout. Consider one of these light breakfast snacks you can enjoy an hour before your morning workout.

You nosh on a bunch of melon and head out for a run. Five minutes into your workout, you experience one of the worst cramps in your belly. You try everything to make it go away: massaging it, slowing down your pace, and raising your arms in the air, but walking is the only thing that helps. You curse that stupid cantaloupe and watermelon for ruining your run.

Certain foods can cause major digestive upset, so here are some tips on choosing an appropriate pre-workout snack.

• Fiber is not your friend: All that bulk that gets things moving in your system is bound to prevent you from moving when you exercise, since it can cause gas pains and may even necessitate a trip to the ladies' room.
• Go for a combo of protein and carbs: Carbs rather than protein offer your body fuel, so make sure your snack has an emphasis on carbs. Simple carbs are best, since they digest more easily than complex ones.
• Avoid foods that personally give you gas: A ripe pear with a handful of nuts might be the perfect pre-hike snack for your best friend, but that dangerous combo could be a tummy time bomb for you. If you've had bad luck with a food giving you gas in the past, it's not the best choice for your pre-workout snack.
• Remember it's just a snack: You don't need to eat a large quantity of food. If you do, then chances are you'll end up with cramps or a feeling of sluggishness. Shoot for a nibble that's about 150 calories.
• Choose energy bars wisely: Many contain 200 to 250 calories, so you'll want to eat only half and save the rest for after your sweat-session.
• Timing is everything: Nosh on your snack about 30 minutes before setting out to exercise.

Here's a list of our favorite pre-workout snacks.

• Half a slice of whole wheat bread with a little almond butter.
• Half a banana mixed with half a cup of Greek yogurt.
• A few baby carrots with a small handful of peanuts.
• Two tablespoons cottage of cheese mixed with a quarter cup of sliced grapes.
• An ounce of cheese with some crackers.

Source: Flickr user rox sm

If you exercise on an empty stomach, the body won't have enough energy to perform at its best. But it's equally bad to eat too much — or the wrong kinds of food — before a workout because all of your energy will go toward digesting the meal. Here are some foods to avoid before a workout.

• Beans, and other belly-bloating foods: Foods like beans, raw broccoli, fruit, and dairy tend to give people gas. Although these foods are healthy, they'll fill you up in ways you'd rather not deal with when having to fold forward in a yoga class.
• Fiber: An enormous bowl of fiber-rich cereal can certainly get things moving, which is exactly the opposite of what you want when you're running at full speed ahead on the treadmill. Fuel up with a snack that contains fewer than four grams of fiber, and be sure to finish eating salads, stir-frys, and veggie soups at least one hour before your planned workout to give the body time to digest.
• Refined sugar: It seems like a great idea to eat a red velvet cupcake before a workout, since you burn off those sweet calories during your workout. A huge dose of sugar might offer a quick source of energy, but it will burn up quick, causing you to feel sluggish. If you need a quick source of energy right before working out, choose a healthier option such as a banana, which also offers important nutrients for the body.
• Spicy foods: Foods with a little kick may satisfy your taste buds, but you'll end up feeling uncomfortable once you start to move. Spicy food can result in a bad case of indigestion or heartburn, putting an immediate halt on a workout.
• Salty foods: Avoid super salty foods before exercising, or if you do eat them, just be sure they're paired with a tall glass of H20. Dehydration can cause headaches and cramps — both of which you don't want when working out.
• Heavy foods: Creamy, fried, or decadent foods take longer to digest, resulting in some serious digestive upset if you eat foods like these before a sweat session. If you're going to sit down to an enormous plate of fettuccine alfredo, be sure to finish it two hours before hitting the gym.

Now you know what you shouldn't eat, so here's a guide to help you figure out what to eat and when to eat before working out.

Fueling up before a workout is essential; it gives the body sustained energy and also keeps metabolism going at a consistent pace to help burn calories. For everyday workouts, it's best to choose a snack that's around 150 calories or fewer, with a mix of protein and carbs but not enough fiber to cause digestive upset. Here are some homemade snacks that will satisfy taste buds and fuel the body to work out hard and long. To maximize the benefits, we recommend eating these snacks an hour before your scheduled workout.

Strawberry Banana Creams

Made with fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt, this refreshing bite-size treat tastes so luscious and sweet, it can even pass as dessert. Enjoy eight cream-filled berries for 145 calories, eight grams of protein, and 23 grams of carbs.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

If you're nuts for peanut butter, you'll love these no-bake balls made with rolled oats, coconut, and all-natural peanut butter. Gobble up two servings for 160 calories, eight grams of protein, and 10 grams of carbs.

Keep reading for two more homemade protein-filled snacks.

Wake up early in the morning to exercise and need to fuel your workout? Go for a mix of protein and easily digestible carbs, which allow your body to stay energized during your workout without weighing it down. If you've got an early workout planned, then try one of these pre-workout snacks for the morning.

Morning Vanilla Almond Smoothie

This slightly sweet vanilla almond smoothie is mildly flavored while containing a good source of carbs and protein. Down this before you work out in the morning for sustainable energy the whole time.

Avocado Rice Toast

Spread half an avocado on a piece of toast for the right mix of fuel for your workout. Try it on a rice cake if whole grains upset your stomach before you work out.

Banana Almond Butter Toast

Another workout-ready mix: half a banana, sliced, atop toast and almond butter. If you're craving something a little more sweet, then sprinkle with toasted coconut as shown here.

Keep reading for two more pre-workout snack ideas.

You're leaving for the gym in 30 minutes for a midmorning workout. You've got your outfit picked out, your cardio playlist set, and your gym bag packed. Since you ate breakfast almost two hours ago, all you have left to do is nosh on a little preworkout nibble. Choose one that contains easily digestible carbs plus protein so you'll have the energy to push yourself through your entire workout. If you're avoiding gluten, then the typical snack of crackers or peanut butter on toast is out of the question, so here are some low-calorie options that don't contain wheat, oats, rye, or barley.

• Mozzarella cheese stick (80) with 10 red grapes (34): 114 calories, 8.4 g protein
• One small banana (90) with eight raw almonds (55): 145 calories, 2.9 g protein
• One organic brown rice cake (60) topped with one tablespoon of hummus (35): 95 calories, 2 g protein
• Half a Peanut Butter and Jelly Larabar: 105 calories, 3 g protein
• Six Mary's Gone Crackers Original Crackers (65) with one tablespoon organic peanut butter (95): 160 calories, 5.4 g protein
• Hard-boiled egg (78) and a tangerine (40): 118 calories, 6.9 g protein
• Four-ounce cup of low-fat cottage cheese (82) with 1/8 cup of dried cranberries (51): 133 calories, 11 g protein
• Six-ounce container of blueberry Chobani yogurt: 140 calories, 14 g protein
• Half a Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein Kind Bar: 100 calories, 3.5 g protein