9 Nutritionist Approved Pre-Workout Snacks for Energy Boost You’ll Wish You’d Known About Sooner

A pre-workout snack must be delicious, boost your strength, and ensure you don’t feel overly full.

Per a study published in the International Society of Sports Nutrition, consuming protein and carbohydrates before working out can be an “effective strategy to support increases in strength and improvements in body composition.” (1)

With that in mind, I decided to put my expertise to work and develop nine simple yet delicious nutritionist-approved pre-workout snack recipes that will give you an energy boost and help you push through your workout.

9 Nutritionist Approved Pre-Workout Snacks

Add the following pre-workout snack recipes to your arsenal:

1. Cocoa & Peanut Energy Balls

This is one of my favorite snacks because it is incredibly easy to prepare, you can make large batches at once, it tastes fantastic, and it is an excellent performance booster. To make a single serving, you will need:

• 60g of rolled oats
• 20g of peanut butter
• Two tablespoons of cocoa powder
• One tablespoon of honey

This snack checks all the right boxes for an ideal pre-workout snack. It has a healthy dose of protein and a mighty amount of fast-acting carbohydrates to restock your glycogen stores.

I like to use cocoa powder in this recipe because cocoa, like dark chocolate, contains xanthines such as theobromine, which can positively impact cognitive function — an often overlooked aspect of resistance training. (2) You may use dark chocolate (85% cocoa), but that will make the snack more calorie-dense.

How To Make:

• Soak the oats in cold water for 2-4 hours.
• Add peanut butter, cocoa powder, and honey to the oats.
• Mix well and shape into bite-sized balls.
• Refrigerate until firm.

2. Almond & Banana Protein Bars

Bananas and almonds are crowd favorites when it comes to pre-workout snacks, but instead of just eating a handful of almonds and a single banana, I prefer to make a protein bar to spice things up a little. To make four almond and banana protein bars, you will need:

• 50g of almond flour
• One medium-sized banana
• 25g of banana-flavored protein powder
• 30g of crushed almonds

What you get from this is a balanced snack–rich in carbs and protein–so it will hit all your pre-workout macro requirements. Bananas will provide a decent dose of potassium, which is an excellent way to combat muscle cramps.

How To Make:

• Mash the banana.
• Mix the banana with almond flour, whey protein powder, and crushed almonds.
• Mold the mixture into bar shapes on a baking sheet.
• Refrigerate until firm.

3. Turkey & Avocado Wrap

A pre-workout snack doesn’t have to be sweet — it just has to be balanced and lightweight. This nutrient-dense wrap can also be your breakfast, and the best thing is that you can prepare it in less than 10 minutes with the following ingredients:

• 100g of sliced turkey breast
• Half a ripe avocado, sliced
• Tortilla wrap
• Two tablespoons of low-fat Greek yogurt
• Salt, pepper, chili flakes

Turkey breast is one of the best protein sources that are low in calories and void of any carbs, so when you pair it up with avocado’s healthy fats and fast-acting carbs from a tortilla — you get an easily digestible meal bound to give you energy for a workout. 

How To Make:

• Spread Greek yogurt on a tortilla wrap, and lay turkey breast and avocado slices on top.
• Season the ingredients with salt, pepper, and chili flakes for extra flavor.
• Wrap the tortilla and toast it in a pan until golden brown.

4. Berry-Banana Smoothie

We can’t have a pre-workout snack list without a smoothie, can we? While I prefer to eat my snacks rather than drink them, even I can’t resist the allure of a cold, refreshing smoothie that brings zest and packs a punch. To make this smoothie, you will need:

• One cup of mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries)
• One medium-sized banana
• 25 grams of banana-flavored protein powder
• A cup of almond milk
• Ice (optional)

The main reason I like to mix protein powder with berries and bananas is that while the fruit is delicious and filled with antioxidants and carbs, it lacks protein. By adding a scoop of whey, I can easily make a balanced pre-workout snack that provides sufficient amino acids for muscle protein synthesis and replenishes glycogen stores.

How To Make:

• Blend the ingredients until smooth.
• Add ice to your liking.

5. Chocolate & Almond Ice Cream

Yes, you read that right — ice cream. You can excel at the gym, have a lean, muscular body, and still eat ice cream. The thing is, the ice cream you eat should be made with the following ingredients:

• Two ripe frozen bananas
• Two tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 30 grams of crushed almonds
• Four tablespoons of almond milk (or more if needed for blending)
• One tablespoon of honey

Not only will this refresh and delight you, but once again, you’ll get a decent amount of potassium from bananas, theobromine from cocoa, protein and healthy fats from almonds, and some fast-acting carbs from honey. 

How To Make:

• Blend bananas, cocoa powder, honey, and almond milk until smooth.
• Pour the creamy mixture into a bowl and mix in crushed almonds.
• Refrigerate until firm but not frozen.

6. Apple, Nuts & Cottage Cheese Bowl

This super-high protein snack is one of my go-to when I’m in a hurry, as it takes about three minutes to prepare. It’s satiating but not heavy, which is my favorite combo for a pre-workout snack. It’s also got that mix of tanginess and sweetness I like. To make this snack, you’ll need:

• One medium-sized apple
• 100g of low-fat cottage cheese
• One tablespoon of honey
• Handful of nuts for topping
• Cinnamon to taste

Cottage cheese is my favorite dairy product. It is both delicious and nutritious. It’s protein-dense, low in calories, and supplies a decent dose of vitamins and minerals such as B12, selenium, zinc, copper, and choline. Top that with organic honey and an apple, and you get a brilliant treat.

How To Make:

• In a bowl, mix the diced apple and cottage cheese.
• Sprinkle with crushed nuts for added crunch and protein.
• Drizzle with honey.

7. Egg & Beetroot Sandwich

Believe me — this is delicious. I often eat this before my morning workouts, and I love both the flavor and benefits (salt and chili flakes help). I feel energized, strong, and ready to go. For you to feel the same, here’s what you’ll need:

• Two eggs
• Two slices of whole-grain bread
• One medium-sized beetroot, thinly sliced
• Small cucumber
• Two tablespoons of Greek yogurt
• Spices to taste

As beetroots are an excellent source of nitrates, this snack will elevate your performance in several ways. It will open up the blood vessels, help with muscle pumps, and improve your endurance. As for eggs and bread? Protein and fast-acting carbs.

How To Make:

• Toast the bread until golden brown.
• Boil the eggs.
• Spread Greek yogurt on toast.
• Place sliced eggs, beets, and cucumber on top.
• Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes (or other spices to taste)

8. Choco Coffee Smoothie

It’s about time I give you a caffeine-rich snack, don’t you think? This mocha-like smoothie is not only beyond delicious, but it’s also a caffeinated drink that could go toe-to-toe with some of the best pre-workouts out there. Here’s what you need to make it:

• One frozen banana
• Two shots of espresso
• Two tablespoons of cocoa powder
• Dark chocolate bar

Caffeine is the main ingredient in many pre-workouts due to its ergogenic properties (3). In this case, you’re looking at anywhere between 60 and 160 mg of caffeine, depending on how much liquid you’re pulling out, but either way, you should feel the kick.

How To Make:

• Blend a frozen banana, espresso, and cocoa powder until smooth.
• Pour it into a cup and grate dark chocolate on top of it.

9. Protein Pancakes

Protein pancakes are the GOAT pre-workout snack. They’re as delicious as regular pancakes, but they make your muscles grow more than regular ones. Here’s what you need to make them:

• Two eggs
• 250g of almond flour
• 50g of chocolate-flavored protein powder
• A cup of almond milk
• Pinch of salt
• 100g of crushed nuts
• Honey
• Coconut oil

The exact macros per pancake are hard to calculate, as it all depends on how thick or big you make them, but eating two or three pancakes should be more than enough to supplement a pre-workout protein shake, and the fast-acting carbs are guaranteed to energize you.

How To Make:

• Crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites.
• Beat the egg whites until fluffy (use a mixer)
• Add salt, almond milk, almond flour, and protein powder into the egg whites and gently mix until combined.
• Grease the pan with coconut oil and make pancakes.
• Drizzle the finished pancakes with honey and sprinkle crushed nuts.

What Do You Need To Know About Pre-Workout Snacks?

There are various reasons we benefit from pre-workout snacks. Here are the basics that you need to know:

Macronutrient Balance:

While a Snickers bar is a decent pre-workout snack, you can do better from a nutritional standpoint.

A pre-workout snack should fuel your workout, which means it should contain sufficient carbs, proteins, and a little healthy fat. Here’s why:

Carbohydrates

Carbs are the primary energy source for your muscles during exercise. As you lift weights, you deplete your glycogen reserves, and your muscles tire. You need a balance of simple and complex carbohydrates to fill and replenish those reserves. 

Simple carbs are fast-acting and will provide a rapid energy boost, and complex carbs will offer a more sustained energy release, so you don’t get overwhelmingly tired after your workout.

Tip: Use our Carb Intake and Carb Cycling Calculators.

Proteins

While adequate daily protein intake is undoubtedly more important than pre- or post-workout protein, data suggest that eating protein within a certain time frame (which I’ll get to in a second) can boost hypertrophy.

More research is needed to determine how big the difference protein timing actually makes. Still, if you go back to the research paper I cited in the intro, you will see that ingesting 20-40 grams of protein before exercise can maximize muscle protein synthesis.

Fats

High amounts of fats aren’t ideal in a pre-workout meal, but you shouldn’t overlook them. Healthy fats from nuts in some pre-workout snacks will give you longer-lasting energy, potentially helping you get through endurance-focused training sessions or long runs.

However, since fats are slow-digesting macronutrients, I recommend limiting their intake close to your training session to avoid discomfort.

Timing

Eating too close to your workout (say, 10 minutes before the gym) could lead to stomach issues, harming your performance. On the other hand, eating it too early might render it useless, as you might feel hungry again before you hit the gym.

For optimal results, you should snack 30-60 minutes before lifting. This is enough time for you to feel the effects of carbs while avoiding digestive discomfort.

Benefits of Pre-Workout Snacks

Let me just tell you about the various advantages of pre-workout snacks:

Improved Workout Performance

Eating the right snacks before working out can boost your performance.

As I mentioned earlier, you need carbohydrates for energy and protein to build and repair muscle tissue, but that’s not all. Eating a snack half an hour before working out can help:

• Boost Endurance: The endurance (mainly muscular but also somewhat cardiovascular) is supported by the glycogen reserves. Those are replenished by consuming carbohydrates, which ensures you have the energy to sustain more prolonged bouts of exercise.
• Increase Strength: Of course, you can’t expect massive strength increases, but eating protein and consuming caffeine, dark chocolate, or cacao before your training session could boost your strength significantly.
• Sharpened Focus: Things like cacao, dark chocolate, or coffee (all of which were used above) are known to enhance focus and concentration. Caffeine will do most of the heavy lifting in this area, but theobromine found in cacao and chocolate can also help.
• Bigger Pumps: Improving your pumps with a pre-workout snack might sound impossible, but it isn’t. Aside from beetroots and salt, which provide nitrates that enhance blood flow, consuming carbohydrates can make your muscles look rounder and fuller. Your body will turn carbs into glucose, which will then be stored in muscles as glycogen (which binds to water), resulting in a fuller muscle appearance.

Meal-Prepping

One of the main reasons I enjoy pre-workout snacks is that they are easy to prep.

Instead of spending 10-20 minutes several times a week to prepare your pre-workout snacks, you can simply up the dosages outlined in my recipes above and prepare your snacks for the entire week.

Although a week-old heated-up wrap isn’t as delicious as a week-old ice cream, it still gets the job done and saves time.

Healthier Than Regular Snacks

Yes, sugary snacks, candy, and store-bought protein bars are probably more delicious than these simple recipes you can make at home, but guess what? They’re not nearly as healthy or fresh.

Most store-bought snacks contain a ton of sugar, preservatives, and trans fats. And while consuming any of those in moderation is generally safe, you’d be better off avoiding them.

FAQs

What should I drink for energy before going to the gym?

From a pure performance standpoint, drinking coffee is the best choice if you want more energy in your workouts.

Can I skip a pre-workout snack?

Yes, you can absolutely skip a pre-workout snack. Training two to three hours after a proper meal can give you the required energy to get through a workout. Also, training fasted has its benefits, especially for weight loss.

Can you mix a pre-workout snack with a pre-workout supplement?

As long as your pre-workout snack and pre-workout supplement don’t contain more than 400mg of caffeine, there’s no reason why you cannot consume both simultaneously.

Conclusion

Based on the positive feedback I heard from my clients, I’m confident you’ll enjoy the recipes detailed in this article. All of them are healthy and well-balanced, and while some are more calorie-dense than others, each snack will power you up for your workout.

In fact, most of these snacks are well-balanced, and you can enjoy them on your days off, too. Bon appétit!

References:

1. Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, Stout JR, Campbell B, Wilborn CD, Taylor L, Kalman D, Smith-Ryan AE, Kreider RB, Willoughby D, Arciero PJ, VanDusseldorp TA, Ormsbee MJ, Wildman R, Greenwood M, Ziegenfuss TN, Aragon AA, Antonio J. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Aug 29;14:33. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4. PMID: 28919842; PMCID: PMC5596471.
2. Gao L, Ge W, Peng C, Guo J, Chen N, He L. Association between Dietary Theobromine and Cognitive Function in a Representative American Population: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2022;9(3):449-457. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2022.39. PMID: 35841246.
3. Astorino TA, Terzi MN, Roberson DW, Burnett TR. Effect of two doses of caffeine on muscular function during isokinetic exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Dec;42(12):2205-10. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181e3a11d. PMID: 20421833.

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