A Dietician Spills On The Absolute Best Foods To Eat Before You Workout

Working out is tough in the best of situations, but working out on an empty stomach is straight-up torture. On the flipside, exercising with a stomach full of the wrong stuff can make you feel like total crap-and that won’t do you any favors, either.

That raises a huge question: What are you supposed to eat before a workout to get you into that sweet spot of feeling energized and satiated but not so full you feel like your stomach is going to bottom out?

What you eat before a workout is super important-and not just to help you avoid hunger pains. “What you eat and drink before a workout fuels your workout, just like a car,” says personal trainer and nutritionist Albert Matheny, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., of SoHo Strength Lab and Promix Nutrition. “If you put the right type of fuel in and the right amount, you will have a great workout. If you don't use the right type of fuel, or you use too much or too little of even the right type of fuel, your workout will suffer.”

And, if you consistently fuel up wrong (or don’t do it at all) before you work out, you’re going to keep phoning it in at the gym. As a result, all that hard work you’re putting in won’t give you the results you want, Matheny says.

Everyone is a little different and you might need to do a little experimenting to see what’s best for you in the food department. But Matheny says there are a few rules to follow:

-Aim for something that’s 100 to 200 calories.

-Try to get some carbs in the mix.

-Avoid high fat and high fiber foods (they’re a one-way ticket to having a lead belly and won’t give you the quick energy you need).

-If it’s been a while since you ate last, have a little protein so you’re not starving while you work out.

If you stick to that guide, you can kind of have whatever you want, Matheny says. But these are his 12 failsafe foods: