Looking for the best pre-workout snacks to fuel your workouts? Discover 10 great pre-workout snack ideas to boost energy, support muscle building, and maximize your performance.

Hi hi! How is the week going? I hope you’re having a great one! I have a morning of meetings today and looking forward to a hot yoga class this afternoon.

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a little bit about pre-workout snacks and share some of my favorite options.

When it comes to fitness, exercise and nutrition are the ultimate power duo. You can crush your workouts all you want, but if your nutrition isn’t dialed in, you’ll feel the difference – in your energy, endurance, and results.

One of the biggest game-changers in sports nutrition is learning when and what to eat before and after you work out. While a good post-workout meal helps with recovery (you can read about my favorites here), your pre-workout snack sets the tone for your entire session.

Not all foods are ideal before exercise. Some can make you feel sluggish or bloated. Today I wanted to round up some of the great pre-workout snacks that can help you fuel your body, maximize your performance, and feel strong through every rep, mile, or flow.

10 Great Pre-Workout Snacks

In this post, we’ll talk about why your pre-workout snack matters, what makes one effective, and some of my go-to options that balance protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. These combinations give you steady energy, prevent fatigue, and support your long-term fitness goals.

Is a Pre-Workout Snack Necessary?

The short answer: usually, yes!

Having a small snack 30–90 minutes before your workout can make a huge difference in your energy and stamina, especially if you’re training in the morning or haven’t eaten in a few hours.

A good pre-workout snack provides the building blocks your muscles need to perform well, and it helps you avoid that dizzy, “running on fumes” feeling mid-session.

Your body needs carbohydrates for quick energy and protein and fat to stabilize blood sugar and keep you fueled. When you skip your pre-workout meal, you risk breaking down muscle for energy instead of building it.

The right combination can help you:

– Train longer and harder

– Maintain focus and endurance

– Prevent early fatigue or energy crashes

– Support lean muscle growth and fat loss

What Makes a Good Pre-Workout Snack

1. Balanced Macronutrients

Your pre-workout fuel should contain a mix of complex carbohydrates, protein, and a touch of healthy fats.

Carbs give you immediate energy, while protein supports your muscles, and fats keep you feeling satisfied without weighing you down.

2. Easy to Digest

You don’t want to head into a workout feeling full or sluggish. Go for snacks that are light but substantial enough to sustain you, like whole grain toast (with good ingredients), fruit, yogurt, or a small smoothie.

3. Timing

Aim to eat your snack 30–60 minutes before yo

Sharing a super delicious and super easy homemade peanut butter protein bar recipe. It’s gluten-free and dairy-free, too!

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a wonderful week. Leading up to our trip, I was doing a ton of meal prepping. With P home and doing the homeschool thing, she’s helped me a lot, and it’s so amazing for the kids to be stocked with staples and healthy snacks, too.

Even when I don’t meal prep a lot, there’s something that I emphasize: protein. I think protein is the hardest macro to hit if it’s not prepped and ready to go. When I open the fridge and see a pack of raw chicken or anything else, I’ll choose anything else lol. If the chicken is cooked, I’ll eat it!

Getting enough protein is essential for overall health, muscle recovery, and staying full and satisfied throughout the day. Whether you’re trying to build muscle, maintain a healthy weight, or to ensure you’re meeting your daily nutritional needs, protein plays a significant role.

How much protein do you actually need each day?

While the recommended daily intake varies depending on factors like age, activity level, and fitness goals, a general guideline is around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for the average person. Athletes or those with active lifestyles may require even more. I found that there’s a sweet spot for protein, and for myself, I try to hit at least 100g per day.

One of the easiest ways to increase your protein intake is by incorporating protein-rich snacks into your day. Somethine we LOVE: these homemade protein butter bars. They’re packed with wholesome ingredients, easy to make, and absolutely delicious – I think you’ll love them as much as we do!

Peanut Butter Protein Bar Recipe

These peanut butter protein bars are the perfect balance of chewy, nutty, and naturally sweetened goodness. They’re packed with protein, thanks to vanilla protein powder, and they’re a convenient snack on the go. Unlike many store-bought protein bars, this recipe is made with clean, simple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. Plus, they’re gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and can easily be made dairy-free by choosing the right chocolate.

Each serving contains approximately 10-12 grams of protein, making it an excellent way to fuel your body and keep your energy levels stable throughout the day.

Does Peanut Butter Have Protein?

Peanut butter has a small amount of protein, along with healthy fats that help keep you full and satisfied. On average, one tablespoon of peanut butter contains about 4 grams of protein. While it’s not as protein-dense as foods like chicken or fish, peanut butter can be paired with other protein-rich ingredients like vanilla protein powder or greek yogurt. Even though it has a little protein, I consider it to be more of a fat in my daily nutrient balance.

How To Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup natural peanut butter (or almond butter/cashew butter for variation)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup almond flour or oat flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate (melted for toppin

Sharing a delicious and healthy recipe for Paleo banana bread! This post is updated with new pics and a refresh.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had an amazing weekend! We were in Phoenix for a dance competition. P has had basketball games, so the past couple of competitions have just been Liv and myself. It’s been a treat to spend some time together and in the hotel each night, we had takeout picnic and watched multiple episodes of Friends. It was lovely!

It’s back to the swing around here this week, and I wanted to share a delicious and healthy recipe with ya. This is one of my staples and I love it when we have bananas that are on their last leg. I think a lot of us went through a banana bread heyday in 2020, and I kind of overdid it. Now that I’ve stopped making it so frequently, it’s *special* again, and a lovely little treat.

(fave spring dress is here!)

Paleo Banana Bread

With its moist texture, natural sweetness, and nutty flavor, this paleo banana bread is sure to become a staple in your kitchen. Enjoy it for breakfast, as a snack, or dessert, knowing it’s made with wholesome ingredients that nourish your body.

I hope you love the recipe as much as we do!

Leaving an old pic so my Pinterest friends know they’re at the right spot!

When I originally made this, I typed out the recipe on my phone —  it was very on the fly. I thought it would be good but maybe not quite blogworthy. Totally surprised myself with this one, as gluten-free baking can be tough. It’s been a staple all this time!

This grain-free banana bread is extremely moist, decadent and made the

Imma bout to show you the way to my heart.

How To Cook Grilled Artichokes

Artichokes are one of the first foods that the Pilot and I would make to go along with our dinners. When we first started dating, money was tight so instead of going out to eat, we’d share an ahi tuna steak and cook two artichoke hearts as our fancy dinner at home. The Pilot is kind of the artichoke king and over time, he’s shared the method to cook them perfectly. They can seem like an intimidating veg – they’re covered in battle spears for goodness sake – but they’re a simply-prepared and nutrient-dense side.

Here’s the step-by-step artichokes recipe!

How to Prepare Artichokes

Artichokes need a bit of a trim before you cook them. You’ll pull off the artichoke leaves, trim the top and the stem, and scoop out the chokes.

After trimming, place the artichokes in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning. You can also rub lemon juice on the cut areas of each artichoke, but I find it much easier to just dunk them in lemon water.

Now it’s time to cook them!

How to Cook Artichokes

Read more

Sharing some festive ways to enjoy rice crispies this Halloween season!

With the spookiest day of the year just around the corner, I can feel the excitement in the air. Halloween isn’t just about costumes and pumpkins; it’s a fun time to bake up some tasty treats!

Today, I’m sharing a delightful Halloween Rice Krispie Treats recipe—a perfect blend of gooey, crispy goodness that will surely add a touch of magic to your Halloween festivities. Rice crispies are one of my all-time favorite treats; they’re gluten-free, SO delicious, easy to customize, and the kids love them.

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats Ideas

Spooky Shapes and Silhouettes

Transform your ordinary Rice Krispie Treats into Halloween-themed shapes. Use cookie cutters to mold them into ghosts, bats, or pumpkins. The kids will love getting involved in this creative process. For an extra eerie touch, add black food coloring to the mix.

How-to: Shape the freshly made Rice Krispie mixture with cookie cutters. Enhance the details with a piping bag filled with different colored icing.

Monster Mashup Madness

Unleash your imagination by turning your Rice Krispie Treats into a parade of friendly monsters. Use candy eyes, colorful icing, and various candies to create a variety of goofy, spooky, or silly monsters. It’s a fun way to get creative and like a little art project for the kiddos.

How-to: Decorate each treat with candy eyes, colored icing for features, and candies for added texture. Make each monster unique for a vibrant and playful Halloween treat.

Haunted Graveyard Delight

Take your Halloween Rice Krispie Treats to the next level by turning them into a haunted graveyard scene. Use crushed chocolate cookies for “dirt,” gummy worms for added spookiness, and small tombstone-shaped cookies for decoration.

How-to: Assemble the graveyard by placing tombstone cookies and gummy worms on top of the Rice Krispie surface. Dust with crushed cookies for a graveyard-inspired look.

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 package