FITNESS

Centr Team

7 healthy pre-workout breakfasts to fuel your body

Prepare a healthy breakfast before a workout with Chris Hemsworth’s team of nutrition experts on Centr.

Should I work out before or after breakfast?

To get the maximum benefit from your training, our dietitian’s advice is that you don’t go into a workout empty. But what should you eat for breakfast for working out better later in the day?

Ideally, your pre-workout breakfast or snack should be eaten 1-2 hours before working out. This gives your body time to process and use the food as fuel. Below, we’ll give you some of our favorite quick and easy snack options if you prefer a small bite (rather than a full meal) before an intense workout.

If you don’t eat a full breakfast pre-workout, you should aim to eat a larger meal with protein and carbohydrates in the 2-hour window after your workout. This will ensure your body has what it needs to restore energy, and repair and build muscle.

You may be curious about “pre-workouts” – drinks or supplements claiming to provide energy for training. As the primary ingredient in most pre-workout products is caffeine, it’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to just have a coffee instead.

Finding the right level of nutrition for your training can take a bit of trial and error, so monitor how you feel while working out. Feeling lightheaded, dizzy or nauseous during a workout are all potential signs that you need more fuel.

What should be included in a good pre-workout breakfast?

Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of fuel. Those oats, slices of wholegrain toast, Greek yogurt, or apple slices that are your morning staples? They’re all delivering carbs that will provide sustained energy to help your body power through the workout ahead. 

Including protein in your breakfast before the gym is important if you’re building muscle with strength training, but less crucial for cardio. As protein takes a lot of energy to digest, don’t overdo it – too much could make you sluggish and impact your workout performance.

Likewise, a healthy breakfast before a workout should be lower in fat, so you get the energy boost without it sitting too heavy in your stomach before exercise.

What about specific foods? Here are some of Lisa’s favorites for maxing your time on the workout mat. 

Green leafy vegetables: “Green, leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, rocket (arugula) and kale contain nitrate,” Lisa says. “Studies show that dietary nitrate can reduce oxygen demand and recent research indicates a positive impact on muscle force development – which has potential benefits for strength, speed and power.”

With two cups of spinach, our Pear & Lemon Green Smoothie makes for a refreshing and vitamin-rich start to the day.

Try adding a few leaves of spinach or kale for a super fresh breakfast smoothie, or quickly wilt spinach in a frypan to have on the side with your eggs.

Sweet potato: “Sweet potato is a terrific carbohydrate source for training and energy levels,” Lisa says. With a lower glycemic index than the white potato, sweet spuds provide longer-lasting energy. 

Sweet potato hash browns make a great side for your morning meals, or you could make a bigger hash pattie the main attraction. 

Banana: This may be nature’s ultimate pre-workout morning snack. “A banana has just enough carbs to fill that space in your tummy and give you an energy boost for the workout session ahead,” Lisa says.

Seafood: Considering some salmon with your avo toast? “Seafood provides protein that is easily digested compared to a heavy steak and will help you to feel energized for the afternoon,” Lisa explains.

The best breakfasts to eat before a workout

If you're struggling for pre-workout breakfast ideas, we’ve unlocked two of the most popular breakfast recipes from the Centr meal plan to show you just how easy (and tasty) it can be to nail a healthy pre-workout morning meal.

Blueberry & Almond Breakfast Muffins

Make a batch of our nutritious and delicious Blueberry & Almond Breakfast Muffins to get your grab-and-go pre-workout breakfasts ready for the week. Ingredients include banana for energy, protein powder to power your muscles, and maple syrup to keep your sweet tooth happy.

Smashed Avocado with Fried Egg & Dukkah

Our Smashed Avocado with Fried Egg & Dukkah is made for busy mornings. With healthy fats from the avocado, protein from the egg, carbs from the sourdough and bonus leafy greens, you’ve got everything you need to smash a workout, and also kickstart muscle recovery.

The best pre-workout breakfast snacks 

If you work out super early in the morning, don’t have time for a full meal, or don’t like working out after a big breakfast, these snacks combine carbohydrates and easily-digestible protein to deliver the energy you need, fast.

No-bake Oat & Cranberry Bar

Instead of reading through the fine print on protein bars to find all the hidden sugar, make our No-bake Oat & Cranberry Bar yourself at home. These bars get the sweet ‘n’ salty balance just right and take just minutes to prepare. We’ve got more simple and healthy power bars you can bake at home, too.

Quick Banana & Chia Toast

The banana and toast will fuel your workout, and the chia seeds will fill you up, but our favorite thing about the Quick Banana & Chia Toast is just how fast it is to whip together.

The best pre-workout breakfast smoothies

Blending your breakfast – AKA having a smoothie in a glass or bowl – can be a big time saver. It’s an excellent option for those in need of a good breakfast before the gym in the mornings.

Some tips before you officially become a breakfast smoothie convert:

• Don’t use sugary yogurts, sorbets or ice cream – frozen bananas will even give you the thick shake creaminess you’ve been craving without all of the refined sugar and saturated fat.

• Don’t mess up your fruit to protein ratio – all our smoothies on Centr are macro balanced and flavor balanced, so you’re getting all the nutrients and deliciousness in a single pre-workout morning meal.

Choc Mint Smoothie Bowl

The plant-based, super nutritious Choc Mint Smoothie Bowl is packed with the goodness of fruit, seeds and nuts. The secret is steamed and frozen cauliflower, which adds the creaminess you crave.

Coconut, Blueberry & Date Smoothie

The Coconut, Blueberry & Date Smoothie is an all-time classic Centr smoothie packed with antioxidants and energy. When you know your workout is going to be a hot one, it’s a great way to stay cool, too.

Answering your questions on pre-workout breakfasts

Still have questions about breakfasts for working out? You may well find the answer you’re looking for below.

What is a good breakfast before a workout?
The best breakfast pre workout combines carbohydrates and easily digestible protein. This can be something as simple as a smoothie or banana and chia toast (find the recipes above), or a tried-and-tested classic like eggs and avocado on toast.

What is the best pre-workout for an empty stomach?
Keep it simple – you don’t want to go too big and make yourself sluggish before your workout. A banana, which boosts blood sugar and provides sustained energy, is a great option, as is a protein bar. We’ve got a bunch of recipes for home-made protein bars that double as quick pre-workout breakfasts.

Is it OK to go to the gym before breakfast?
Going to the gym before breakfast might not have a negative impact, unless you tend to feel faint during exercise when you haven’t eaten. Everybody is different, which means you’re the best judge of what works for you. That said, eating a pre-workout breakfast gives your body fuel to work out harder and for longer, which can lead to higher gains in the long term. We wouldn’t recommend making a habit of working out on an empty stomach, but we also wouldn’t stress about doing it occasionally.

Want more nutrition advice from the experts?

• 10 low-effort fitness snacks for maximum gains
• Are artificial sweeteners bad for you?
• 6 nutrition tips for advanced performance
• Is BMI a load of bull$#*t?