6 tasty & energy-filled pre-race meals for runners

As a sports dietitian, the top three nutrition questions I get asked are:

1)  What should I eat before running?
2)  What type of product or drink should I have during my run?
3)  What should I eat as a recovery meal?

I’m going to help answer all three of these questions for you in a three part “supermarket sports nutrition” series!  This series dedicated to helping runners identify easy-to-make, inexpensive meal & fuel ideas – all of which can be found at your local ALDI supermarket!  {Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by ALDI}.  That’s right – you can fuel from start to finish using common supermarket ingredients.  This post is part one, focused on your pre-run meals.  Find suggestions for real food you can use to fuel your long runs next Monday, and inexpensive recovery meals the following Monday!

So….What Should I Eat Before a Run???

When it comes to eating before exercise, there’s no one “right” food or meal.  Sports nutrition is so individualized, and if I can drive one point home, it’s that you want to experiment with different foods before running and find out what a) sits best in your stomach, and b) helps you feel fueled throughout your training run or race.  I’ve got 6 sample meal ideas for you below, but first, I thought I’d share some tips and the reasoning behind those choices…

Meals or snacks before a long run or race should generally meet these three criteria:

1.  Rich in easily digestible carbohydrate

When you are a distance runner, your body is always using a mixture of carbs and fat to provide energy during your runs.  You can never just “switch” over to all fat.  It’d be awesome if you could; most people have much more fat stored than carbohydrate (about 50,000 to 100,000 calories worth of fat vs. 2,000 calories worth of carbohydrate).  But you can’t, so it’s important to “top off” with a high carb breakfast before a long run or race.

2.  Avoid excess protein

Some protein is fine, but too much will slow down digestion and can sometimes cause an upset stomach.

3.  Relatively low in fat and fiber, with meals further out giving you more flexibility for higher amounts and meals closer to your run warranting low amounts.

Fat slows digestion (hello, pit in your stomach at the starting line) and fiber is that marvelous thing that keeps our digestive system functioning well (great for every day digestive health, but not so great to be doing the “I’ve-gotta-go” shuffle in the porta potty line at the race).  The further in advance you eat, the more flexibility you have with this, as your body will have time to process these components before you start running.

Do I need special “exercise foods”?

Nope.  The meals and foods you choose before (and during, and after) a run do not need to be anything fancy, or from a specialty athletic store.  I found every single thing for my pre-exercise meals at ALDI.  The meals are simple to put together and were super inexpensive.  Just check out this receipt – this is my total for ALL the foods I’ll be featuring in this series, including lots of pre-exercise meals, recovery meals, and items you can use to fuel during your runs – all for less than 50 bucks!  The only things not included on here are milk, honey and spices, because we already had those at home.

More tips…

Now, if you’re heading out for a quick 3 mile jog, you don’t have to worry as much about a proper pre-exercise meal like I’ve shown below.  Your body will be fine out there even if you skimp on a pre-race snack.  Of course, even for short runs, I think there’s a benefit to having something small – like a banana or a piece of toast – since most people feel like they can push harder when they’re not hungry.

But for your long runs and races, make an effort to include those rich-carbohydrate meal choices about 1-4 hours before your run.  The more time before your run, the more you’ll want to eat (but again, the more flexibility you have because you have longer to digest).  The specific amount that you need to eat depends on this timing as well as your weight.

6 Pre-Run Meals Ideas!!

I’ve focused on breakfast options, because if you’re like most runners, those long runs are probably happening on Saturday or Sunday mornings.  All 6 of these pre-race meals would be great for a 150 pound runner about 1 to 2 hours before their run.

**If you’re at a higher weight or you’re eating more than 2 hours before, use the “more carbs” ideas to increase the portion size.  If you’re at a lower weight or you’re eating closer to your run, use the “less carbs” ideas to help make it right for you.

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa

This is a great option for anyone following a vegan or gluten free diet.  Cook quinoa according to package directions and measure out 1 cup of cooked quinoa.  Mix with ¼ to ½ tsp cinnamon (whatever you like in terms of taste), ½ tsp vanilla, ½ cup of applesauce, and 1 medium chopped apple.  This is a perfect option for the upcoming fall weather; it seriously smells like apple pie.

• More carbs – add extra applesauce; add raisins; increase amount of quinoa
• Less carbs – cut down on portion size of quinoa; only add ½ a chopped apple

PB&B “Sushi”

Spread 1 tbsp peanut butter onto a flour tortilla.  I usually recommend white products (white bagels, white bread) before a race because of their lower fiber content, but the whole wheat tortillas only had 3 grams of fiber anyway, which isn’t excessive – plus, I can use them for other meal options.  Top your tortilla with a banana and 1 tbsp of honey.  To make the “sushi”, you can just slice it as shown.  I love the little sushi pieces because they just look so cute and fun, but the simple & quick way to have this is to simply roll it up and eat it like a burrito.

• More carbs – Eat two; add an extra drizzle of honey
• Less carbs – Cut out the honey; use half a banana

Cereal, Milk, & Fruit

Wow, that really wasn’t a very clever name, huh? 😉  This is a quick & easy option, and one that I often rely on myself.  Eat 2 cups of toasted oat or crisp rice cereal with 1 cup of skim milk and a banana.

• More carbs – add extra cereal; have two bananas
• Less carbs – cut down on portion size of cereal; use half of a banana instead of a whole

Egg-cellent Quinoa

For those of you that like a more savory option, this is a good one – just be sure to eat it a little further out from your run because of the fat content in the egg yolks.  Cook quinoa according to package directions and measure out 1 cup of cooked quinoa.  Top with two eggs cooked to your liking.  Right now I can’t eat eggs and I can’t even tell you how much I just wanted to DIG IN to that over easy egg on top of that quinoa!  Enjoy alongside a tall glass of orange juice.

• More carbs – Increase the portion size of the quinoa; add a piece of fruit to the side
• Less carbs – Cut back to half a glass of orange juice; reduce quinoa portion size

Tropical Oatmeal

This is a delicious and easy breakfast to throw together, and if you don’t like the fruit choices, just mix it up with whatever fruit you’d like.  Combine ½ cup rolled oats and 1 cup milk or milk alternative and cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup chopped pineapple and 1 chopped kiwi.  If you’ve got some lying around and you’re little heart desires, sprinkle a smidge of shredded coconut on top!  You can also make this as overnight oats in a mason jar so it’s all ready for ya in the morning.

• More carbs – make extra oats; add extra fruit
• Less carbs – cut back on amount of oats; only use one type of fruit

Grab & Go

If you’re running out the door to meet your friends for a long run or to head over to the race, you can always choose a quick grab-and-go option.  I like a combination of two oats & honey granola bars alongside either a banana or two nectarines.

• More carbs – add a yogurt, sports drink, or glass of juice to the side
• Less carbs – Only have 1 nectarine or 1 bar

There you go – 6 meals to eat before your runs, all purchased at ALDI.  Definitely check them out on their website, facebook, and twitter for more information about all the inexpensive options you can score.  And keep your eyes peeled for next Monday when I share my choices for fuel during your runs that I found there!

Share with me:  What do you usually eat before a run?  Which would be your favorite choice to try from the list above?

Disclosure:  This post series is sponsored by ALDI.  I received gift cards as compensation for my efforts in writing this post.  As always, all opinions are my own and I only partner with brands I believe in.

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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