Stylish workout clothes, gym essentials, training gears, and a perfect playlist—now you’re all geared up for a workout session. Wait, are you forgetting something?
While the majority are more focused on the workout itself, they tend to ignore one of the most important things before a training session: pre-workout fuel.
A lack of proper pre-workout meal could affect not only your overall performance but also your body during an exercise routine.
Regardless of your fitness level, without the right fuel, how can your body reach its peak performance?
That said, it is essential to take the same level of care with pre-workout foods as you do with post-exercise meals.
But be mindful, even if a particular food is considered healthy or ideal for weight loss, it could be harmful to your workout regime.
To give you the edge in your pre-workout meal preparation, our health and fitness specialist already did the leg work for you!
Below, they have compiled some of the surprising healthy foods to avoid before a workout.
9 Healthy Foods to Avoid Before a Workout
Below are the ‘healthy’ foods that don’t necessarily contain the right nutrients to fuel the body for a workout session, as they may instead require more energy to digest.
1. Green Bananas
A banana is indeed a great source of natural sugars, carbohydrates, and potassium, which can be broken down quickly, increasing your blood sugar levels.
However, opting for an unripe banana is a major no-no. Though this healthy snack is rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, they still contain starch which can be challenging to digest, and eventually, will cause bloating.
2. Avocados
Although an avocado may seem like a harmless and healthy snack to curb your hunger, it is best to avoid adding one to your pre-workout meal prep.
They may be a good source of healthy monosaturated fats, but good fats take longer to digest. This can cause you uncomfortable cramping, which can cut your workout session.
3. Hard-boiled Eggs
Eggs are probably one of the foods that are easy to prepare and eat while being rich in protein.
No wonder why hard-boiled eggs are a popular pick for most fitness enthusiasts. However, they do lack carbohydrates, which mean they are relatively hard to digest.
Eating eggs before exercising is not a good idea as this can weigh you down and get in the way of an efficient session.
4. Hummus
If you’re in the journey of living a healthy lifestyle, hummus is an excellent addition to your meal plan. But it may also be best saved for your post-workout meal.
Hummus is a bean-based food that contains a high level of indigestible carbs. This healthy food can leave you feeling bloated as well in the midst of your workout.
5. Rice Cakes
Not only is a rice cake low in calories, but it’s also undeniably delicious! But this snack is not healthy as some of them contain a lot of artificial flavourings.
Not to mention that rice cakes won’t even benefit you at all if you eat them before your workout, so it’s best to avoid them.
6. Whole Grain Bread
Typically, a whole grain bread is a perfect choice for mealtime. In fact, they are rich in fibre and contains more nutrients compared to white bread.
However, it does contain complex carbs that are too much for the body to process, hindering your exercise.
7. Yoghurt
Consuming any dairy products as a pre-workout meal may lead you to feel sluggish, causing you to slow down or exert less effort during your fitness routine.
Although yoghurt is a perfect alternative to many sugar-filled desserts, it is less than ideal eating it before working out. Save it for after the session instead!
8. Chillies
Aside from adding a kick to your meal, spicy foods are known to increase your metabolism and help you torch that unwanted and extra couple of calories in your tummy.
But eating something spicy, such as a bowl of curry, before you hit the gym is a big no-no.
Doing so will cause you indigestion and heartburn. You wouldn’t want that, would you?
9. Kale
Leafy greens are unquestionably an excellent addition to any meal, but keep in mind that their fibres breakdown time can cause you discomfort during exercise.
For instance, Kale. Although it’s a great source of fibre and a perfect ingredient for a morning smoothie, this vegetable requires a lot of energy to break down and digest.
So if you don’t want to end up feeling bloated, prevent eating some before working out.