Top 10 Foods that Boost Workout Results
It's important to eat in a way that supports the exercise routine that you've worked so hard to develop. Keep your kitchen stocked with these bare essentials at all times so you stay energized for your workouts and healthy for the long run. Be sure to check out our recipe finder for ideas on quick healthy dishes to whip up with these ingredients.
PLUS: Avoid the 10 Foods That Sabotage Workout Results
FATS AND PROTEINS
Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle, and helping you develop strength. While unsaturated fats help keep your heart healthy, your cholesterol low, and keep you feeling fuller for longer. About 25% of your daily calories should come from healthy fats, and another 25% should come from lean protein.
1. Eggs: Packed with protein, lutein (for eye health), and a handful of vitamins and minerals, eggs are an inexpensive option that are easy and quick to prepare. Need to limit your cholesterol? Just use the whites, or use an egg substitute.
2. Greek Yogurt: This will help you pack in protein and calcium in your next meal or snack. Greek yogurt is thicker, creamier, and has more protein than traditional yogurts. Try to select a brand with as few ingredients as possible and choose one that is low in fat or fat free.
RELATED: 10 Tips for Weight Loss That Lasts
3. Nuts: Many nuts--like peanuts, almonds, and pistachios come equipped with antioxidants, phytosterols, and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Be sure to watch the portion as a few nuts can add up in calories fairly quickly. Looking for the most nuts with the fewest calories? Try shelled pistachios. 1oz (49 kernels) provides 160 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein, and it's cholesterol free. The most nutritious options are dry roasted and unsalted. Prolong their freshness by storing them in the freezer.
4. Skinless Chicken and Turkey Breast: Lean poultry such as chicken and turkey breast are excellent options if you want to boost protein--without packing on the calories. Skinless poultry is low in fat, high in protein (4 ounces contains over 30 grams of protein), and full of essential nutrients like B-vitamins and phosphorus which are essential for healthy bones and teeth. You can buy it fresh, frozen, or canned. Skip the frozen, prepared and breaded options as they are packed with salt and preservatives.
RELATED: Your Favorite Foods, Made Healthy
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Fresh produce has a bounty of benefits: it provides a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy, and it's low-calorie and high fiber, so you can eat large quantities without packing on the pounds. About half of your daily calories should come from carbs, mainly from fruits and vegetable, along with whole grains. Here are some fruits and veggies that have extra benefits for anyone who regularly exercises.
5. Beets: Beets are naturally high in nitrate, which some athletes consume to improve performance. Some studies have shown that people who consumed baked beets before a tough workout ran faster with less effort. You can get beets raw or canned; you can even juice them to get the benefits. To glean the health and performance benefits that beets may provide, try juicing them or consuming immediately after cooking.
6. Cranberries: Cranberries contain powerful nutrients called PACs (Proanythocyanidins) that play a role in helping to maintain the health of the urinary tract, bones, teeth and immune system. Whether you eat them fresh, canned, dried, or in juice, and provide against certain harmful bacteria that cause UTIs.
7. Cruciferous vegetables: Working out is taxing on the body and cruciferous vegetables--such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and bok choy--can help boost the immune system and fight chronic disease. Cruciferous vegetables, whether you eat them fresh, cooked, frozen, or canned, have phytonutrients plus Vitamin A, C, folic acid, and more. In order to retain the nutrients, avoid overcooking them.
RELATED: 9 Healthy Cookout Recipes
8. Spinach: Whether you use it as a topping for sandwiches, chief ingredient in dips, or a foundation for a big salad, spinach is a classic example of a vegetable that delivers tons of nutrients you need with few calories. With less than 10 calories per cup, spinach is packed with iron, potassium, and antioxidant vitamins like Vitamins A, C, and K. Spinach is also an excellent source of the lutein, which protects the eyes from the sun's harmful rays and even diseases like macular degeneration. Keep spinach on hand fresh, frozen, or in a can.
9. Potatoes The complex carbs in potatoes are easy to digest, making them a great pre-workout source of energy. These inexpensive starchy vegetables are easy to prepare--simply microwave, boil, or bake--and provide nutrients like potassium and fiber. Sweet potatoes offer big doses of vitamin A and beta carotene, which are excellent for the eyes.
GRAINS
If you're cutting calories or carbs, you may be tempted to eliminate whole grains from your diet. But these are important sources of the energizing vitamins and minerals you need tor your workouts. About half of your daily calories should come from carbs that include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
10. Whole grains: No athlete's pantry is complete without whole-grain bread, pastas, and cereals. Whole grain foods include the bran, germ and endosperm--the parts of the grain that contain the nutritious B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and fiber you need to build strength. When whole grains are refined into foods like white bread, the nutrients are lost, and so is the fiber. A diet rich in fiber helps lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and decrease the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Fiber also helps the keep the digestive system functioning in top form and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Good sources of whole grains include: bulgur, whole oats, cornmeal, popcorn, brown rice, barley, wild rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, and buckwheat. Remember: just because a bread is brown doesn't mean that it's whole grain. Look for labels that say 100 percent whole grain, or look for these terms on the list of ingredients: whole grain, whole wheat, stoneground whole oats, and oatmeal. If you see terms like enriched flour, bran, or wheat germ, chances are the bread isn't whole grain.
For more tips on your next grocery run, check out our ultimate guide to the top supermarket foods.
Written by Pamela Nisevich Bede, M.S., R.D.
More from Runner's World:
The World's Simplest Running Weight Loss Plan
