Heena Trivedi, a Mumbai-based clinical nutritionist too, recommends simple carbohydrates before a workout, especially if your workout involves running or walking. She recommends having a fruit coupled with nuts or seeds like almonds. This combination according to Trivedi, “helps in slower release of glucose in the body as the simple carbs are being paired with foods rich in omega-3, proteins and fibre.” This provides your body with optimum energy for a workout.
“Whole wheat toast with any nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter is a great choice. So is a small bowl of muesli with a little milk,” says Mumbai-based dietician Maithili Kelkar. If you want to run on an empty stomach in the morning, then your dinner the previous night should contain a substantial amount of complex carbohydrates like a couple of wheat rotis or a small bowl of rice, she adds. As for post-workout meals, Kelkar recommends oats with yoghurt or a boiled egg with a wheat roti.
When it comes to weight training, Kelkar suggest eating something before as weight training consumes more energy. “Plan your workout time before hand, so that you can plan your pre-workout meal.” For a pre-workout meal, she recommends having complex carbohydrates like steamed sweet potatoes. Whole grain bread with hummus, a roti with yoghurt, or millet pancakes, are other options she suggests. Adding fats like avocado on toast pre-workout is also a great idea if your workout is likely to be high-intensity, like high-incline running or long-distance cycling.
Post workout, Kelkar says, it would be a good idea to hydrate with either coconut water or nimbu paani. Combine that with a quinoa sprout bowl or a Spanish omelette with potatoes and vegetables, she says. “Since your metabolic rate will be high after a workout, adding healthy fats like almonds, olives or ghee to your meal would be a great idea too,” Kelkar adds.
How to make a protein shake at home
Heena Trivedi shares a recipe for a home-made protein shake. The ingredients you need are: a small cup of Greek yogurt (contains 6 grams of protein); three tablespoons of chana sattu (contains 6 milligrams of protein); a cup of 100 ml water; 1 tsp of mixed seeds (contains 1 gram of protein) and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (dark, unsweetened). “Blend all the ingredients and you’ve just made yourself a protein shake with 13 grams protein, which is less than 250 calories,” she says.
