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6 Good Reasons To Eat Dried Fruit Before Workouts

A lot of people ask themselves whether or not it’s a great idea to eat before a workout. The short answer: it depends. But as long as it’s not a large meal, then you should be in good shape.

But… 

What exactly should you eat before a workout? 

Believe it or not, we have the answer. It’s dried fruit.

You can purchase it in stores or, with the help of a food dehydrator, make it yourself. Either way, you’ll be able to eat a quick snack before your workouts.

If you work out regularly and have been considering the idea of changing up how you eat beforehand, keep reading. 

Here are the six reasons why dried fruit is great to eat before you hit the weights or get your daily cardio in:

1.  It’s Excellent Fuel

Eating before a workout can be essential to your fuel load. It can give you a boost of stamina and maybe even some endurance. Dried fruit is an excellent choice since there are plenty of different kinds that are linked to these boosts of energy.

Don’t be shocked if, all of a sudden, your normal half-hour workout turns into a 45 minute one. Dried bananas can still give you similar benefits compared to eating a regular one. In fact, it’s the one fruit that can actually give your muscles a better chance to recover even on one of your most intense days.

2.  Reduces Lethargy, Nausea, Etc.

During your workouts, you might start feeling a little sluggish. There may be times when you feel like you want to stop and puke your guts out. This is typical in workouts.

Eating dried fruit will actually reduce these instances from happening. Why does this happen? You might not be properly hydrated or eating right.

As mentioned before, eating a big meal is not a good idea before working out. But a small snack, along with plenty of water, will keep all of the bad stuff to a minimum while you are cranking out your personal bests.

3.  Gives You A Bit Of Variety

While eating dried fruit alone is a good idea, you can mix it with something else and call it a pre-workout snack. You can mix it with some Greek Yogurt or pair it with some nuts (almonds, peanuts, etc.) These are some pretty potent combinations for those who are looking to get into the gym and stay there for the long haul (i.e. — 60 to 90 minutes).

Who knows? You might find yourself making a go-to pre-workout snack that will become a usual ritual. If it works to your advantage, there probably is no sense in changing up your diet.

4.  Easy To Take With You

Think about it: you probably don’t have the time to stop somewhere and eat. You’re on a schedule where you are only limited to one hour at the gym before moving on to the rest of your day. So taking a small snack like dried apricots or pineapples in a plastic bag is always a good idea. 

As long as it fits in your gym bag, you can take it with you and munch on something before changing up. Plus, it takes little to no time to prepare. And it’s an even greater alternative to say, something sugary and disgusting. 

Pretty soon, a small bag of your favorite dried fruit might be a major fixture in your gym bag along with your clothes. Packing it will be like second nature. You can’t go to the gym without it.

5.  Easily Digestible

Some foods are hard to digest and can really put a damper on your workouts. With some foods that are the exact opposite, it’s a perfect choice since it won’t slow you down, and it will give you the vitamins and nutrients you need in a short amount of time. Plus, you don’t have to sit down and wait for the food to digest before you do anything else (like you probably would after a large holiday meal).

Rule of thumb: if it’s small and easily digestible, you might want to include it in your pre-workout snack plan. Just be sure to include our main event star in the mix (hint: something dried).

6.  It’s The Perfect Anytime Snack

Breakfast is eaten at a certain time. The same can be said for lunch and dinner. But a snack can always be eaten, before or after a workout.

You can eat dried fruit at 6 AM or 6 PM (if you work out that late). There really is no time cutoff in terms of when you can eat something that’s small. Even though it does give you energy, it’s not like a cup of coffee where it will keep you up all night long (especially if you are working out late in the day).

Final Thoughts

If you are pondering the idea of changing your pre-workout eating habits, then dried fruit might be exactly the go-to choice you need. Especially when you’ll need something that will get you through the entire session without feeling sluggish or having all that energy drained out of you.

These six reasons listed above are exactly why dried fruit should be the perfect go-to choice before you lift or go for a run. It doesn’t matter how long the workout is, the benefits are ridiculously good. Before you know it, you’ll always have something quick to eat before the day.

With plenty of vitamins, minerals, and various nutrients, why would you say no to that? Plus, it takes little time to prepare before you head out the door. You can purchase your favorite dried fruits or make it yourself.

You really don’t know what you’re missing when it comes to your choices of a pre-workout snack. So what are you waiting for? Get your hands on some dried banana chips or pineapples and give them a try before your workout. 

And like I mentioned at the beginning, you can make it yourself by using a food dehydrator, especially at times when your favorite fruit in on season!

Last Updated on December 9, 2020