Breakfast: everyone always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it certainly is. Try to choose something that contains carbohydrates, such as whole grains and fruit, which will fuel your brain and body, as well as healthy fats and protein, such as eggs or yogurt, to jumpstart your metabolism and keep you feeling full.
Pre-Workout: choose foods that are high in carbohydrates, low in fat and fibre, and moderate in protein. Having a lot of fat, fibre, and protein before a workout can slow you down and make you feel too full because they take a long time to digest. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, will fuel your body and give you the energy you need during your workout.
Post-Workout: eat something that contains protein and carbs within 30 minutes after you complete a workout to replenish your body and build muscle. Great snack options include Greek yogurt with almonds, fresh fruit, or a protein shake.
Lunch: the best types of food to have at lunch are non-starchy vegetables, fats, and lean protein. The vitamin B in the vegetables will help you avoid the afternoon slump and the protein will keep you feeling full.
The 3pm Slump: choose foods that are high in protein. Avoid foods with a lot of sugar and carbohydrates because your body will burn them quickly and they will cause a glucose spike, which will make you feel even more tired. Also, drink water rather than coffee so that you don’t crash after the caffeine wears off. Try some veggies and dip, trail mix, or a protein smoothie.
Dinner: avoid eating a lot of protein and fat at night because they are harder to digest at the end of a long day. A recent study shows that people who eat more carbs for dinner are less hungry during the day and they lost more body fat and had more stable glucose levels, which curbed their mid-day slumps and cravings.