"natural"/whole-food pre-workout snack

Hi all

I'm bulking currently, but not really gaining as much strength or mass as I would like as quickly as I would like or that various calculators suggest that I should be able to. So I need to up my calorie intake. I already have a 4-meal split that works well for me, so I'm looking to maybe throw in some calories pre-workout (I currently train early morning, fasted), preferably some kind of natural/whole-food equivalent of a pre-workout shake. I'd like to get something that's:

- super-convenient/no-prep/grab and go
- high in protein, lower in fats and carbs
- protein preferably easily digestible since this will be *immediately* pre-workout
- about 200kcal
- cheap
- real food, no protein powder etc (I try and stick to whole-food/unprocessed foods)

Can't really find anything that fits the bill so far. A handful of nuts brings too much fat with it, as does various dairy options, and eggs would need cooking/prepping. Meat is expensive and slow digesting. Tinned tuna has too much mercury to have 5 times a week pre-workout.

Any obvious options out there that I should consider?

2 grilled chicken tenderloins. 100 calories 20g of protein every piece basically. Buy Tysons at Walmart a 3lb bag. Easy fix

Just curious why you want a fast digesting protein for prew/o? Eggs hard boiled ahead of time, soynuts cottage cheese (isn't quickly digested but should be perfectly available post workout when your body will need it)

[QUOTE=devinnf;1268492051]2 grilled chicken tenderloins. 100 calories 20g of protein every piece basically. Buy Tysons at Walmart a 3lb bag. Easy fix[/QUOTE]

I am not in the US. I will see if I can source any chicken for cheap but meat tends to be very expensive and this is on *top* of the expense of 4 meals/day already. I ideally need something cheaper. I also want something with no prep, as stated - ie something as convenient and quick as wey protein. Having to pre-cook and refrigerate and store chicken pieces is not ideal.

[QUOTE=failnever21;1268499011]Just curious why you want a fast digesting protein for prew/o?[/QUOTE]

Is this not quite common? Whey protein and BCAAs are routinely consumed ahead of workouts, to my knowledge, in order to provide a ready protein source to muscles to aid anabolic response and reduce muscle depletion and provide protein for rebuilding muscle depleted during workout as fast as possible. If this is a misunderstanding of the processes involved, then please point me to a more correct summary and suggest a better use of my spare calories pre-workout.

[QUOTE=failnever21;1268499011]Eggs hard boiled ahead of time, soynuts cottage cheese (isn't quickly digested but should be perfectly available post workout when your body will need it)[/QUOTE]

I already eat 12 eggs/day so don't want to up that much further :-P

Soy nuts and cottage cheese both seem like good options if I can pick them up cheaply and they are low in fat, thanks. Although I already have cottage cheese pre-bed and would prefer a bit of variety.

What's wrong with fat in nuts?

How long is your fast before the workout?

[QUOTE=AlwaysTryin;1268515371]What's wrong with fat in nuts?[/QUOTE]

In principle/in general absolutely nothing. I love fatty nuts and eat loads of them, especially my favourites - macadamias (shame they're so expensive :-(

I have a very high-fat diet already however (c. 40% of calorific intake), and any calories pre-workout assigned to fats are less calories available for protein, which is what I'm looking for here. Since my body needs protein to support anabolic response, and it doesn't need fats, and I don't need any more fats in my diet, I don't want the fats. There is also the issue of fats reducing GI/absorption of protein too I believe? Either way/on both counts - fats not desirable in this instance.

[QUOTE=Mrpb;1268517131]How long is your fast before the workout?[/QUOTE]

Overnight, so say 7-8 hours in theory plus say an hour either end since I never go to sleep *immediately* after eating like on paper, and if it has to last til the end of my workout add another hour on there. So maybe 9-10 hours. I think you're probably warming up to suggest "more protein before bed", which I already do (full tub of cottage cheese) but:
a) that is going to be absorbed within 5-6 hours generally and not available in large quantities for the workout in the morning
b) two smaller protein servings are still thought to be better than one giant protein bolus I think even if the cap on absorbable protein per meal is not as low as originally thought/is still in dispute
c) I would rather have the extra protein in the morning than increase my protein anymore at bedtime for other reasons too, such as it being easier to stomach so many calories the more I spread them out and;
d) also there is the psychological boost of nibbling on something pre-workout, which I miss currently.

Any suggestions for the actual protein source itself please? Enough second-guessing my motivations please! :-P

My favourite pre-workout morning breakfast is pitta bread filled with banana and peanut butter. Prep it the night before. I know it's big in carbs, but you are wanting to bulk, right? You want extra calories, but you won't do that on a 200kcal pre-workout snack

[QUOTE=SkinnyCyclist;1268549501]My favourite pre-workout morning breakfast is pitta bread filled with banana and peanut butter. Prep it the night before. I know it's big in carbs, but you are wanting to bulk, right? You want extra calories, but you won't do that on a 200kcal pre-workout snack[/QUOTE]

I'm confused, 200 extra cals/day of protein isn't going to help me bulk?? Can you explain?

It would be even better if we could try and keep the thread on track and get some more suggestions for protein sources that meet the criteria please :-)

What I'm getting at is- why limit yourself to only an extra 200kcal if you're struggling to put on mass/bulk? This is a pre-workout snack, get the carbs/energy on board. Suggestions of nuts and eggs have been made, but you've dismissed them. If you're upping your calorie intake, you can afford that bit of extra fat, maybe alter some of your other meals later in the day.

Better still, stop trying to complicate matters!

[QUOTE=realdurtysouth;1268519521]
Any suggestions for the actual protein source itself please? Enough second-guessing my motivations please! :-P[/QUOTE]

Skimmed milk? Because there's no fat in it it will digested quicker.

the carbs can help you perform better. not sure why you want to avoid carbs.

[QUOTE=SkinnyCyclist;1268570141]What I'm getting at is- why limit yourself to only an extra 200kcal if you're struggling to put on mass/bulk?
Better still, stop trying to complicate matters![/QUOTE]

I'm not "struggling to put on mass", just not bulking quite as quick as I want and need a circa 200cal boost. Why would I add an extra 1000cal that would guarantee 90% of what I put on was fat?! You make no sense! Why on earth do people make it so difficult just to *answer the question being asked* without second guessing every single thing. Jesus!

[QUOTE=SkinnyCyclist;1268570141]This is a pre-workout snack, get the carbs/energy on board. Suggestions of nuts and eggs have been made, but you've dismissed them. If you're upping your calorie intake, you can afford that bit of extra fat, maybe alter some of your other meals later in the day.[/QUOTE]

Suggestions of nuts and eggs have been made yes, for which I thanked the posters but explained why they weren't quite right. It is definitely an option just to eat the nuts pre-workout and shuffle things around but this hardly helps.

[QUOTE=Mrpb;1268570501]Skimmed milk? Because there's no fat in it it will digested quicker.[/QUOTE]

Aha, now that's a good idea, that has a reasonable amount of protein and a reasonable amount of sugar for a quick hit pre-workout too, I like it. Cheap and easy too. Don't know why I didn't think of that one.

[QUOTE=Mrpb;1268570501]the carbs can help you perform better. not sure why you want to avoid carbs.[/QUOTE]

I don't want to avoid them, its just that I want protein and as I say any cals pre-workout I take that are carbs are not cals that are protein, and I want max protein/cal.

From the suggestions above, I think skimmed milk or a small tub of cottage cheese are probably where its at. Skimmed milk is so easy it seems like a winner.

I think you're a bit mislead about what an ideal quick energy source is, you are wanting to perform better in the gym and make more progress ideally you would need more energy that won't sit in your stomach. For more energy you are going to want carbs pre workout which your body will be able to quickly turn them into glucose for energy also you are bulking and carbs aren't the devil like most think keep in mind that doesn't mean it's the only option it is just my personal suggestion good luck op

You're really overthinking this. You don't "need" a high protein meal prior to a workout..you don't need to forgo fats, or carbs. It really boils down to preferance, trial and error etc. Playing with the macros (more p vs. more f, or more carbs vs less p, etc.) likely won't have that great of an impact, if any at all on your actual workout, the idea is to just get something in to provide fuel instead of training fasted (which some actually prefer).

Usually early morning, I'll have a greek yogurt and a peice of fruit +caffeine.. or few boiled eggs and fruit +caffeine.. or throw in a small glass of milk. It's really not that big a deal what you actually eat, just find what like as a morning preworkout meal best and stick to it.

[QUOTE=ethan1631;1268624091]I think you're a bit mislead about what an ideal quick energy source is, you are wanting to perform better in the gym and make more progress ideally you would need more energy that won't sit in your stomach. For more energy you are going to want carbs pre workout which your body will be able to quickly turn them into glucose for energy also you are bulking and carbs aren't the devil like most think keep in mind that doesn't mean it's the only option it is just my personal suggestion good luck op[/QUOTE]

Who said anything about quick energy? Read the original post again. And who said carbs are the devil? Talk about trying to put words in my mouth. I suggest you take off your filter-specs and re-read my original post with what I actually said.

[QUOTE=Slow-N-Steady;1268641101]You're really overthinking this. You don't "need" a high protein meal prior to a workout..you don't need to forgo fats, or carbs. It really boils down to preferance, trial and error etc. Playing with the macros (more p vs. more f, or more carbs vs less p, etc.) likely won't have that great of an impact, if any at all on your actual workout, the idea is to just get something in to provide fuel instead of training fasted (which some actually prefer).

Usually early morning, I'll have a greek yogurt and a peice of fruit +caffeine.. or few boiled eggs and fruit +caffeine.. or throw in a small glass of milk. It's really not that big a deal what you actually eat, just find what like as a morning preworkout meal best and stick to it.[/QUOTE]

I've decided to go with a pint of skimmed milk. It fits in with my macros nicely, is 200 cal for a pint, is so easy/quick/instant/nature's protein shake, has low fat, is very cheap, has a nice kick of sugar/carbs for energy, and lots of protein to keep me anabolic. Thanks to all who made suggestions, i'll give this a whirl since it fits my requirements so nicely I can't beleive I didnt think of it.

Did a workout this morning c.5 mins after downing a whole pint of skimmed milk. Seemed like I had a bit more energy and didn't have any stomach/digestion issues from it as some people report, so it seems like a good choice. Will see if it helps me bulk slightly faster. Thanks for the various suggestions.

[QUOTE=realdurtysouth;1268894451]Did a workout this morning c.5 mins after downing a whole pint of skimmed milk. Seemed like I had a bit more energy and didn't have any stomach/digestion issues from it as some people report, so it seems like a good choice. Will see if it helps me bulk slightly faster. Thanks for the various suggestions.[/QUOTE]

What is your current diet consisting of?

[QUOTE=AlwaysTryin;1268903641]What is your current diet consisting of?[/QUOTE]

Food, mainly :-P

Dude, the thread is finished, I found a good answer, and will run with it. What fishing trip are you on exactly?

I mean, I eat a variety of whole foods - meat, fish, eggs, veg, fruit, nuts, oils, flours, seeds, grains, cheese, milk, beans. Occasional processed foods like biscuits, cake, crisps, chocolates etc. Same as most other people. I eat more fish than most people probably since I love it, and I don't drink alcohol, otherwise a pretty standard diet I think.

If I'm cooking for myself I try and stick to whole food sources. If I'm eating out, less so. I get about 1200/1000/800 fat/protein/carb calories per day on average. Why do you want to know and how is this relevant to my query?

Lol at milk being chosen as his "easily digestable" pre workout. I would probably toss my cookies if I ran a leg day with a pint of milk in me. But if that works for you than all power to you.

I think you are getting too picky where you don't need to be.
Why can't you just eat more in the 4 meals? What benefits do you think a pre-workout are going to bring you?

If you are going for whole, natural foods RIGHT before you workout, it's not going to be digested soon enough to provide you with squat for energy, so why not eat a meal 1-2 hours before you hit the gym? This way you can eat clean and not have to worry about digestion issues while working out.

[QUOTE=Connor1226;1268949791]I think you are getting too picky where you don't need to be.
Why can't you just eat more in the 4 meals? What benefits do you think a pre-workout are going to bring you?

If you are going for whole, natural foods RIGHT before you workout, it's not going to be digested soon enough to provide you with squat for energy, so why not eat a meal 1-2 hours before you hit the gym? This way you can eat clean and not have to worry about digestion issues while working out.[/QUOTE]

The answers to everything you ask is already written above, I'm not rewriting it. Scroll up.

[QUOTE=realdurtysouth;1268913211]Food, mainly :-P

Dude, the thread is finished, I found a good answer, and will run with it. What fishing trip are you on exactly?
[/QUOTE]

Why so mad? I asked because you said your diet was high fat already so didn't want more.

You now said you eat nuts already, so why not eat the nuts pre workout and eat something else where you usually eat the nuts, or increase the proportions of foods you already consume at other times.




But hey, what would I know

[QUOTE=AlwaysTryin;1269094021]Why so mad?
[/QUOTE]

Because there's about 2 helpful replies to this thread with suggestions and about 20 replies second guessing why I'm asking for a low-fat, low-carb protein option with the criteria specified.

Such is the internet.