Snacks to Eat or Avoid Before a Run
Best Pre-Run Snacks
If you are going for a run that will be more than thirty minutes or three miles, don’t do it on an empty stomach! Eating a big meal before a run is a no-no, but you’ll want to at least have some kind of snack to make sure you give your body the fuel it will need.
If you are training for a big race, you’ll want to make sure you have sufficient levels of carbs in your system to power your run. Without doing so you might start to feel tired and lethargic way too early. In addition to your on-route nutrition that can come in the form of gels or energy chews, pre-run nutrition should be carb-heavy, while not too sugary that it will cause you to crash.
Think of foods that provide long-burning satiation. Nuts, granola, bread, and fruit are all examples of these foods that will give you energy without having adverse effects on your digestive system.
1. Snacks to Try
Bananas – A staple of organized races, bananas pack a punch of energy. Other fruits can be tried as well like berries, peaches, and many more.
Granola Bars/Energy Bars – Always a good source of energy, the standard granola bar ingredients like oats, nuts, and honey provide a great combination of carbs and sugar to help keep you going. Some runners prefer to stash an energy bar in their pocket for their on-route snack, as they can digest them better than energy gels.
Nut butter – Yes, peanut butter can be good for you in this circumstance! Just don’t overdo it. Many people are shocked when they measure one serving size of peanut butter against what they normally smear on their toast!
Grains – Whole grain bread, either toasted or as part of a small sandwich, will sustain you for a long time.
Cereal – a bowl of cereal, oatmeal, or granola will have all the right ingredients. Be sure to avoid super sugary cereals. Also, either eat it dry or with half a cup of almond milk or oat milk. Dairy right before a run is a bad idea!
2. Snacks to Avoid
Dairy – Any dairy product can wreak havoc on your digestive system if you have it just before a run. Most runners avoid dairy for several hours before their run, saving the chocolate milk or cheese pizza for their reward meal.
Empty Calorie Sugar – Think of any junk food that is high in sugar but low in anything else. Candy bars, cakes, donuts… none of these things will give you sustained injury. They can even make you feel worse once the sugar rush wears off.
Meat – Similar to dairy, meat should be avoided due to the risk that your digestive system will get angry a few miles into your run.
Anything high in fiber – Beans, legumes, or vegetables that are high in fiber can also cause all kinds of digestive discomfort while running. Save them for after the run and stick to the easier carb-heavy options to keep you going.