Facts for pre-workout:

• Carbohydrate intake during exercise delays the onset of fatigue and improves endurance exercise performance.
• Roughly 70% of the energy in your pre-workout meal should come from carbs, but choose low-glycemic carbs Insulin plays a role in signaling your body to store fat. So, lower levels of insulin might help you to burn fat.
• Protein is the next important nutrient to consider in order to decrease muscle breakdown during and after your workout. Fat takes the longest to digest, so a pre-workout meal should be relatively low in fat.
• If you’re fueling for an intense endurance activity, then more carbs should be added. Those who are weight-lifting or building muscle should add more protein.
• Generally, foods that contain protein, fat and/or fiber—and are digested more slowly—fall lower on the GI scale than those that consist mostly of carbohydrate (e.g., white bread).
• Exercise food, then, needs to contain carbohydrates, some fat, and some plant protein. If you eat it before exercise, it also needs to be light enough that it won’t weigh you down or make you feel sluggish.
• Eat 15-30 minutes or an hour before your workout

Pre-workout

• Small glass of 100 percent juice
• Oatmeal [low glycemic carbs]. Eating about ½ cup of this hearty grain an hour or two before exercise will provide you with carbohydrate energy necessary for quick, intense workout sessions.
• sweet potatoes [low glycemic carbs]
• Omelet
• whole wheat bagel and/or toast
• Australia Harvest honey toasted muesli
• hydrate, 2-3 cups of water
• avocado with a whole wheat toast. If you will be participating in a sustained workout, eating an avocado a few hours beforehand can provide valuable healthy fat for that energetic boost when carbohydrate depletion occurs.
• glowing green smoothie
• Eggs n’ toast: Have a heartier appetite? Try 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs with 1 slice of whole-wheat toast.
• PB Apple: For a quick carb fuel-up, slice 1 medium apple and serve with 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter.
• Chicken n’ sweets: For a fast bite, grab 2-4 ounces (or a palm-sized amount) of sliced chicken with an equal portion size of sweet potatoes
• Oats n’ eggs: Not just for breakfast, try ½ cup cooked oatmeal and 2 whole eggs seasoned with salt and pepper.
• PB & B toast: Fuel up with 1-2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter and half a sliced banana on whole-wheat toast
• Veggie omelet: Add a little more color to your diet by combining 2 whole eggs shaken with 1 teaspoon of water cooked with 1 cup sautéed seasonal veggies.
• yogurt

During workout

• honey
• orange juice (fructose content)
• coconut water
• nuts (helps in endurance activities)

Post-workout facts

• The carbohydrates in it will help replenish the energy stored in your muscles (called glycogen stores) and aid in muscle recovery—more so than a carb-only drink.
• When you exercise, your muscle tissue sustains minute bits of damage – micro-tears. Protein in the diet helps your body to repair these tears after exercise, building stronger muscles in the process.

Post-workout

• Chocolate milk
• Banana and peanut butter
• Bananarama: One medium sliced banana with 1 cup low fat milk — it doesn’t get any easier than this!
• Hummus with veggies (carrot/lettuce sticks)
• Bagel with egg whites: Half a medium-sized whole grain bagel with 2 eggs whites makes a great post-workout sandwich.
• Milk and cereal: Any time is a good time for cereal. Add 1 cup of low-fat milk to 1 cup of whole-grain cereal. Nosh loudly.
• Apples and cheese: Tease your taste buds with 1 medium sliced apple and 1 stick of low-fat string cheese.
• Pita and hummus: One 7-inch pita with two spoonfuls of hummus adds a little pep back to your step with quick digesting carbs.
• Whey Protein Shake
• Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein plus Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal