Vegan Diet and Fitness: What to Eat Before and After Different Workouts

More and more people are choosing a vegan diet. But whatyou should eatwhen you train? US nutritionist Sara Zayed recently shared useful tips on what to eat before and after a workout.

Vegan diet for circuit training

The term “circuit training” includes exercises that improve endurance and flexibility, as well as promote proper posture and good coordination. The strength exercises are done in intervals with short breaks in between. Several muscle groups are trained at the same time. Before every workout, you should choose carbohydrate-rich foods of plant origin. These include:

  • Whole grain products like oatmeal
  • fresh fruit
  • sweet potatoes
  • Dried fruit (no added sugar)

After training, you can choose to:

  • Veggie burger with whole grain bread
  • Salad with green leafy vegetables and beans
  • Smoothie with plant-based milk (oat milk), fruits of your choice and seeds
  • Oatmeal with nut butter and fruit

Plant-based nutrition and workout for joggers or running training for a marathon

If you like jogging or are preparing for a marathon, then you can eat the following foods before training:

  • Whole wheat bread with a banana
  • fruit
  • sweet potatoes

If you plan to run for more than an hour, you can take a break every now and then and snack on dates or raisins. After training eat:

  • The yeast flock
  • Salad with green leafy vegetables, beans and a handful of nuts
  • Brown rice with vegetables
  • Smoothie with seeds, green leafy vegetables and fruits of your choice

Strength Training: This is what you should eat

Eating a protein-rich diet before a workout pays off. After your workout, you should eat in such a way that you can avoid muscle soreness.

Before the workout:

  • Whole wheat bread with nut butter
  • Smoothie with protein-rich fruits, nuts and green leafy vegetables
  • Oatmeal with dry fruits and nut butter

After the workout:

  • Tofu or edamame with salad
  • Hummus and raw vegetables
  • Smoothie with protein-rich fruits, nuts and green leafy vegetables

Vegan diet and HIIT training

With HIIT training, the exercises become more intense with each repetition. To get through a HIIT workout smoothly, you should train your cardiovascular endurance.

Before the workout:

  • Dark green leafy vegetables and fruits
  • Oatmeal with fruits
  • sweet potatoes
  • fresh fruit

After the workout:

  • Smoothie with protein-rich fruits, nuts and green leafy vegetables
  • Whole grain paste with tomato sauce and vegetables
  • Dates

Vegan diet and yoga/pilates

Compared to other workouts, yoga and Pilates are not as intense. You should eat the following:

Before training:

  • Salad with green leafy vegetables and berries
  • Whole wheat bread with a banana
  • raw vegetables

After training:

  • Smoothie with protein-rich fruits, nuts and green leafy vegetables
  • Brown rice with vegetables
  • Berries
  • sweet potatoes