For people who run, eating should be more than just stopping hunger. They need high-quality foods so their body can keep energy while running and fix muscles after exercise. The following seven foods will help boost your health and strength.
1 - A slice of bread with peanut butter
Peanut butter
- Calories: 190.
- Fat: 16 gm.
- Sodium: 140 mg.
- Carbs: 8 gm.
- Fiber: 2 grams.
- Sugars: 3 g.
- Protein: 7 g
Toast slice
- Calories 87
- Protein 3.1
- Carbs 8.18
- Fat 0.5
- Fiber 0.6
If you prefer running early in the morning, you’ll find it hard to run well on an empty stomach since it’s been hours since your last meal and your body’s energy stores are low. So eating this light snack with about 100 to 300 calories can give you the energy you need for morning runs. It’s quick to prepare, full of carbs and protein, and easy to digest.
2 - banana
- Total fat 0g 0%
- Total carbs 30g
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Dietary fiber 3g
- Sodium 0mg 0%
- Sugars 19 grams
- Potassium 450 mg 13%
- Protein 1 g
Bananas are fruits rich in carbs and have low fiber, so they digest easily. This makes them great for runners. Bananas also have a lot of potassium, which lowers the risk of heart stroke.
3- Berries
- Calories: 43
- Vitamin C: 35%
- Manganese: 32%
- Vitamin: 25%
- Copper: 8%
- Folic acid: 6%
When doing high-impact sports like running, you might feel pain after finishing the workout. So, berries in their different types are among the best foods to eat after running because they help the body repair and build muscles. This is due to their high content of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium.
4 - Broccoli
- Calories: 31.
- Water: 89%
- Protein: 2.5 grams.
- Carbs: 6 grams.
- Sugar: 1.5 grams.
- Fiber: 2.4 grams.
- Fat: 0.4 grams.
Broccoli boosts health and sports performance since like berries it has vitamin C, potassium, and plant fiber. You can try adding broccoli to a salad plus a good lean protein source for a balanced meal full of good nutrients.
5 - Yogurt
- Calories 61
- Water 88%
- Protein 3.5 g
- Carbs 4.7 g
When you do running or weightlifting, it can help your body increase your bone density. Since calcium is the main element for bone density, you should make sure to get your daily amount. One cup of yogurt gives you a third of the daily calcium you need plus it's rich in protein.
6 - Lean beef
- Calories: 217.
- Water: 61%
- Protein: 26.1 grams.
- Carbs: 0 grams.
- Sugar: 0 grams.
- Fiber: 0 grams.
- Fat: 11.8 grams.
Besides being a great protein source, beef has a lot of iron. Iron is key for regular runners because low iron makes you tired fast. Vegetarians can get iron from beans, peas, and grains instead of beef.
7 - Salmon fish
- 170 calories (70 calories from fat)
- 6 grams total fat.
- 1 gram saturated fat (5%)
- 75 mg cholesterol (25%)
- 26 grams protein.
- 20 mg calcium (2%)
- 0.27 mg iron (4%)
Salmon is also a great source of protein and has a lot of omega-3 fats that are good for heart health and help fight inflammation and diseases.
8 - Dark chocolate
According to the USDA, a 101 g piece of dark chocolate with 70-85% solid cocoa:
Calories: 604
From protein: 7.87
From fat: 43.06
From carbohydrates: 46.36
From dietary fiber: 11.00
From sugar: 23.24
From iron: 12.02
From magnesium: 230.00
From zinc: 3.34
It's also rich in a lot of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium
You can eat dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa) now and then as a reward after sports or sticking to good nutrition for a long time. It's great for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Plus, the flavanol compounds in it help reduce inflammation. What's better (besides taste) to boost your mood? But please don't eat too much.
9 - Coffee
The following nutrition info is from the US Department of Agriculture for one cup (270 g) of black coffee without cream or sugar.
Calories: 1
Fat: 0 g
Sodium: 6 mg
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 0.3 g
Coffee only becomes a nutrition worry when you start adding things like milk, flavorings, sugar, and whipped cream. Then one coffee drink can have as many calories and fat as a big slice of cake.
10 - Potatoes
Calories: 164
Fat: 0.2 g
Sodium: 24 mg
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 1.9 g
Protein: 4.6 g
So it’s always better not to starve yourself or cut out certain foods, but to give your body different nutrients to build muscle and lose stubborn fat. Our advice to you is to always be patient and determined and stick to clean eating and you’ll be surprised with the results. You can also follow up with the Fitness Garage team where we provide everything needed from meal and workout plans to help you reach your goal.
