Healthy Snacks for Runners (and Other Active People)

Mar 13

Written By E K

Snacking gets a bad rap sometimes. We associate it with sitting on the couch being lazy, or with being weak and giving in to cravings. But it’s not like that!

Snacking is a power habit– when you do it with intention.

Hear me out. Humans need nourishment. Active humans need more nourishment than sedentary ones. If you’re active, you need not only energy (calories), but also micronutrients to repair your tissues and sustain the increased metabolism of your body.

You get these through food, and that needn’t be limited to three meals a day. For lots of active folks, it’s actually hard to get what you need that way. Why limit yourself?

Who needs snacks?

Here are some clues that it would be smart to welcome snacking into your life:

You’re hungry. Raise your hand if you’ve ever eaten your whole lunch at 10:30 AM after morning track. Just me? No? This is a surefire sign that you’re underfueled and a post-workout snack is in order.
You’re having food cravings. Your body is trying to tell you something– you may be missing a key nutrient, or just need more total calories.
You increased the amount of physical activity you’re doing lately. More work takes more energy. If you upped your game, you need to up your intake.
Your running (or other effort) feels harder than it should. Are you dragging? Having trouble finding your mojo? You might need a carb hit before you go.
You’re taking longer to feel recovered after hard efforts. Sore? Achy? Heavy? Your body might not be able to replenish glycogen stores and rebuild muscle tissue efficiently enough because it’s lacking the materials– carbs and protein.
You’re dealing with unexplained niggles and injuries. Stay in that underfueled pattern long enough, and you’ll progress from tired to injured. Not only does your body need carbs and protein, but it needs antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to rebuild tissues. If you snack smart, you can get all of this.
Your weight is dropping without trying. We’ve been conditioned to think of weight loss as a good thing. And it can be, if it’s what your body needs. But if you’re chasing performance and feeling great, weight loss might be a red flag that you need more food.

How to snack with intention

If you recognized yourself in one of those categories, it’s time to welcome snacking into your life. But I don’t mean reaching for the cheetos and calling it good.

First, let’s talk about the mindset. Snacking isn’t giving into weakness, it’s taking advantage of another opportunity to provide nutrients to your body. Making this shift will change the whole idea of snacking– and influence the decisions you make about it.

You can find snacks pretty much anywhere (the checkout at home depot? Sure, why not?). But the kind of snacks you need to nourish your body take a little planning ahead. So plan to snack, and you won’t have to settle for whatever you can find.

You probably give some thought to where your meals are going to come from (if not, that might be good to work on too. . .). Do the same with snacks. Plan for them when you plan meals. Shop for them when you shop for ingredients. Identify where you can pick up a quick one if you have to. Put them where you’ll need them (gym bag, office fridge, desk drawer, car). And schedule them like you schedule meal breaks.

Most snacks should be a balance of carbs (energy), protein (repair), fats (satiety), and color (micronutrients). You can play with the total calories, the ratios, and the timing, but if you stick to that basic principle, you’ve got a running start (pun intended).