Whole30 Pre and Post Workout Snack Ideas

Pre and post workout snacks were the toughest to plan for during my first Whole30.

Your regular meals have a clear template: palm sized portion of protein, add veggies, add fat, occasionally add fruit.

Plus, you tend to have a solid idea of what foods you like for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are plenty of recipes out there to find for your main meals. Pre and post workout snacks are a little hazy.

Doing your first Whole30? Be sure to read these must-know tips and life hacks before you start.

How Do I Know If I Should I Have Pre and Post Workout Meals?

Pre and post workout snacks are recommended if you’re an athlete or your training is considered “high-intensity” such as:

• Jogging/running
• Swimming laps
• Tennis
• Zumba
• Cycling
• Jumping rope

Basically, anything that gets your heart rate up to 85% or higher, where it’s difficult to have a conversation.

You can read more about it in It Starts With Food, which is overall an awesome book to read if you’re interested in the research that supports Whole30 (or if you just want to know the reasons behind why the heck you have to give up wine, dang it.) I also go through all of the Whole30 books and break down which ones you might need in this post.

What Should I Eat Pre and Post Workout?

Here’s the deal. You want your pre workout snack to include protein and fat to signal your body that activity is coming.

Your post workout snack should contain protein and carbs to replenish and help serve as the building blocks for muscle growth. Try to avoid fat post-workout as it slows the absorption of the other macronutrients.

Okay, sounds easy enough.

Except, what do I eat at 4:45 a.m. when I just rolled out of bed? (I just typed bread instead of bed…I’m writing this on Day 13 of Whole30, guys. I miss bread.) What do I eat at 6:00 a.m. when I need a post-workout snack but it’s also almost time for breakfast? These were my struggles.

I tended to train fasted since I was already waking up at 4:45 for a 5 a.m. workout. Whole30ers do say that something is better than nothing, but this is totally a personal choice. On days that my workouts were tougher (HIIT and weights vs. yoga), I always came back and ate protein and carbs as soon as possible after my workout. I’d stand in the kitchen and eat my chicken and squash, then jump in the shower, get ready, and have my breakfast about 45 minutes later. Alternatively, you could wait until you got to work to eat your breakfast, but I found I was usually hungry for my meal before I left the house.

Whole30 Pre Workout Snack Ideas

Pair a protein with a fat for your pre-workout snack:

PROTEIN:

• Hard boiled egg
• Deli turkey
• Chicken
• Salmon or tuna
• Jerky bites – read your labels, EPIC makes a variety of flavors! (see them here)

FATS:

• Avocado
• Cashews
• Almonds/Almond Butter
• Macadamia Nuts

Whole30 Post Workout Snack Ideas

Without fail, my post workout snack was a protein (chicken, salmon, tuna, etc.) paired with a starchy veggie (sweet potato, beets, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, etc.). For specifically how much carbs you need, check out the Carb Curve in It Starts With Food.

• Chicken and beets (get them canned for a no-prep carb! read your labels!)
• Compliant deli turkey with sweet potato
• Tuna with roasted sweet potato/squash
• Chicken and butternut squash (roasted with cinnamon- such a treat!)

Before Whole30, I would eat my breakfast after my workout and find that I was so hungry by 9 or 10 a.m. My body was using my breakfast to refuel after my workout and then was left without enough nutrients to keep me full until lunch.

One habit I know I will keep after my Whole30 is eating a protein and carb post-workout snack. 

Planning for Success

If you know your workouts are higher intensity, make sure to plan your pre- and post-workout meals. The first two weeks I figured, “Well, I’ll just grab whatever protein and carbs I can find in the fridge.”

False.

There was nothing.

One morning I microwaved egg whites with sweet potato and cinnamon mixed in. It was weird. Don’t be like me.

On Sunday, throw a few chicken breasts in the pressure cooker for 10 minute chicken, make some hard boiled eggs, and bake some sweet potato or squash. Set these aside specifically for pre- and post-workout.

Experiment with what works best for you. Even though the Whole30 guidelines suggest having a portion sized serving of protein after your workout, I could never stomach a whole chicken breast. I just couldn’t. Try having a few bites of chicken before your workout, and see how you feel. Everyone is different, and in time you’ll figure out what works best for you!

I hope these tips were helpful and give you some ideas on whole30 pre- and post-workout snack ideas. If you have any favorites that you swear by, drop them in a comment below to build this resource for others!

More Whole30 goodness:

• Weekly Recaps: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4
• Why I’m Doing A Whole30 (Great resources for beginners!)

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Happy Whole30-ing,