This delicious and easy pre workout smoothie will boost your energy before exercise and help aid in muscle building and weight loss! It’s dairy free, gluten free, plant-based, and made with only 6 ingredients!
Let’s Talk Pre-Workout Nutrition
When it comes to exercising for muscle building, weight loss, or endurance – nutrition is key. While many people exercise for their mental health (which is awesome, I do too!), the nutrition component is a big factor when it comes to getting the most out of your workout for the three reasons listed above.
There is usually a lot of emphasis put on post-workout nutrition (what to eat after working out), but what about pre-workout?
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What you eat before exercising is also extremely important and can seriously impact the effectiveness of your workout! Fuelling your body pre-workout makes sure that you aren’t running on an empty tank, and primes the body for muscle growth, strength, and endurance.
Are smoothies good for pre-workout?
Yes they are! One of the easiest pre-workout food options is a smoothie (or even easier – a protein shake!). Smoothies are great not only because they are simple and quick, but also because they can provide the body with the two most important pre-workout macronutrients: carbohydrates and protein.
Because smoothies are most often made primarily with fruit, they provide a great source of fast-digesting carbohydrates that give the body a boost of energy for working out.
It’s also very easy to add your favorite protein powder to a smoothie (like the Naked Nutrition Naked Seed powder I used in this one), or another protein source like 0% fat Greek yogurt (why 0%?… I’ll explain shortly!), or even liquid egg whites (although that’s not my personal cup of tea).
What should I eat 30 minutes before a workout?
As mentioned above the two key macronutrients (nutrients your body needs in larger amounts each day) to consume pre-workout are:
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Foods: Bananas, berries, apples, dried fruits such as dates or apricots, sweet potatoes, or white rice. ***Slower digesting carbohydrates like whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, rolled oats, or steel cut oats, should be consumed around 1 hour before a longer or more intense endurance or strength workout as they provide longer lasting energy. |
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Foods: Protein powders, egg whites, 0% Greek yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, tuna, chicken breast ***Fat should be avoided less than 2 hours pre-workout as it takes a longer time to digest and can cause cramping, bloating, or sluggishness during your workout. It will also slow the digestion of the proteins and carbohydrates, which is why low fat or 0% yogurt or cottage cheese is recommended. |
There are SO many protein powders on the market it’s hard to know which are the best to choose, but I can help you with these three simple guidelines. A protein powder for pre-workout should have:
- minimal ingredients
- high quality ingredients
- no artificial flavours or colours
It’s also a great idea to change up your protein powder to give your body different types of protein and not over consume one single protein source. This means one day you might have a whey based pre-workout smoothie, and the next you’ll have a smoothie with seed protein powder or pea protein powder.
Naked Nutrition makes a wide variety of protein powders that tick off all the points above. Their protein powders contain only premium quality ingredients, and very few at that including:
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To make this delicious and simple pre-workout smoothie you only need a handful of ingredients, each with a specific purpose. Here’s what you’ll need:
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| *** you can also any other type of protein powder as I discussed in the previous section! I also really love collagen peptides as they are virtually tasteless in a smoothie, so great for people who are sensitive to noticeable taste and texture some protein powders can give. |
Easy Pre Workout Smoothie
This easy pre workout smoothie is healthy, packed with protein, vegan, and perfect to enjoy as a breakfast or snack before exercise to make the most out of your workout!
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana, peeled
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 scoops Naked Seed protein powder (or 1-2 scoops of protein powder of your choice, see notes)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Enjoy 30 minutes before working out for the best benefits (see notes).
Notes
- Choose from plant-based protein powders, whey protein, collagen, or egg white protein (see under recommended products and use the serving size as indicated on the container).
- This pre-workout smoothie is best for if you have a shorter amount of time to exercise or you are performing a fast high-intensity workout of shorter duration.
- If you are planning a longer duration workout (such as a 10km run, or another intense endurance activity of 1 hour or more, add 1/4 cup of whole grain rolled oats to your smoothie for slower digesting carbohydrates that provide longer-lasting energy)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 3ggCarbohydrates: 56ggFiber: 12ggSugar: 26ggProtein: 22gg
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