Breakfast before running? 5 delicious options

Do you enjoy a good breakfast before going for a run? Breakfast is important, both for athletes who go running and for those who prefer to exercise at another time of the day. For many, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast is recommended to start your routine with energy and to keep your body nourished throughout the day. With the right breakfast, you can also achieve a feeling of satiety that will help you avoid snacking.

Now, you probably don’t eat breakfast before your run because you don’t want to feel digestive discomfort. If that’s the case, here’s a secret: by choosing the right ingredients, you can nourish yourself, fill up on energy and have a light digestion even when you’re out exercising. You’ll also need to get up in good time, as ideally you should start your activity about 40 minutes after you’ve finished breakfast.

Even so, you may not be interested in breakfast before running if your training is not too demanding. In that case, the 5 breakfast options in this article can be prepared after you’ve finished your workout. Because you can eat breakfast before or after, skipping breakfast is non-negotiable.

Breakfast before running: yes or no

For many nutritionists, both options are valid, although it all depends on your schedule and the goals you have set for yourself. We tend to think that to cope with physical exercise, we will perform better if we have all our nutritional needs covered. However, if the intensity of the exercise is not very demanding, it would not be so necessary to have a complete intake of nutrients.

Three scenarios can be distinguished:

1. Running on an empty stomach: if you have a complete diet that provides you with sufficient nutrients, you can go running without breakfast first. However, you should eat a healthy intake throughout the day to restore your energy reserves and muscle fibers. Another recommendation is to run no more than two days a week.
2. Going out for a half-breakfast run: i.e. eating a little to complete your breakfast after training. In this case, it seems beneficial to eat some protein before exercise to ensure a positive protein balance. For example, low-fat cottage cheese and a banana, or an egg-white omelet with tofu and a piece of fruit. In this case, you should wait at least 40 minutes before going for a run.
3. Go for a run after breakfast: if you eat a full breakfast, you should wait at least an hour and a half before going for a run. If you don’t, digestive discomfort (heartburn, reflux, nausea, etc.) will set in. Take the opportunity to get up early, have a full breakfast and get some work done. For many people, the first hours of the day are the most productive.

Is there such a thing as the ideal breakfast before running?

Although it would be fantastic, there is no such thing as the ideal breakfast for runners. There is the ideal breakfast for you because it is the one that suits your tastes, your needs, your schedule, and your pace of life. What we can do is create different breakfasts with a few key guidelines in mind:

• Be aware of your tastes and needs. If you don’t like food you don’t have to eat it by force, there are bound to be alternatives that you like better. Be flexible!

• Sugars should be reduced and slow-absorption carbohydrates should be prioritized. This includes fruit and vegetables, but also whole grains or pseudocereals such as quinoa and amaranth.

• Nor should we forget about hydration, so foods with plenty of water should be some of the foods of choice. Choose those with water, vitamins, and minerals -such as silica-, such as fruit, vegetables, milk, or eggs. Silica is a mineral that can help runners a lot, as it promotes tissue recovery after an intense exercise session. It also improves flexibility, elasticity, and osteoarticular, and prevents injuries. This trace element, an expert in generating collagen, helps to maintain general fitness, enabling the athlete to give his best. In addition, silica provides the athlete with better oxygenation, relaxation, and relief for tired legs.

• Finally, breakfast before running should not be without protein, fats, and fiber, foods that require slow digestion to avoid glucose spikes. Forget about your little sandwich with a bun! There are much tastier options.

5 options for breakfast before running

Here are 5 complete yet light breakfasts for running after eating them – waiting at least 40 minutes. Below, you will find two sweet breakfast options, two savory ones, and a smoothie. They can be used as a guide for your weekly breakfasts.

Sweet breakfasts

If you have a sweet tooth, you don’t have to give up this flavor even if you are an athlete and take the utmost care of your diet. Here are two options:

1.Greek yogurt parfait with fruit and amaranth

• What you need: This yogurt-based preparation provides your body with quality proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Amaranth is a pseudocereal that is an excellent source of essential amino acids. You can choose the fruit you like best. A great combination is a banana and strawberry, but you can go for something more exotic like pitahaya. Did you know that this fruit is rich in vitamin C and favors the generation of collagen?

• How to prepare it: We recommend preparing the parfait the night before for a fresh breakfast in the morning. Mash the fruit – a small banana and about 4 strawberries or half a medium pitahaya – together with Greek yogurt. Then, in a clear glass, assemble the parfait. Start with a base of yogurt and fruit, place a layer of amaranth on top, then another layer of yogurt, and so on until the glass is full. Keep in the fridge in a container with a lid. When you are going to eat it, you can add some toppings such as dried fruit, seeds, or granola to give it crunchy touch.

2. Oatmeal and chia overnight crepes

• What you need: This pre-run breakfast is also perfect to start preparing the night before, so in the morning all you have to do is form the pancakes and fill them to your liking. The base of this preparation is oats and chia, i.e. slow-absorption carbohydrates and omega-3 fatty acids. It also has protein and fiber.

• How to prepare: In a blender, mix one egg and one egg white, half a banana, two heaped tablespoons of oat flour, one tablespoon of chia, and ¾ cup of vegetable drink. The mixture should be rather runny. Overnight, the chia will hydrate and help gel the crepe mixture. In the morning, just stir it up, put a good spoonful in a greased pan, and spread the mixture over the entire surface. When you see that it has set, turn the crepe over. Fill with the remaining half banana and a little peanut butter. You can also fill them with other fresh fruit and nuts to taste. You can even fill them with savory ingredients.

Savory breakfasts

If you like to vary your breakfasts, here are a couple of savory options that are also to die for:

3. Eggs au gratin in avocado halves

• What you need: This recipe is as tasty as it is surprising. Having these eggs au gratin in avocado halves for breakfast means providing your body with high-quality protein and healthy fats. In addition, avocado is rich in folic acid, vitamin A, C, and E, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. It is a very complete food. In addition to the egg protein, you can add a few strips of smoked salmon.

• How to prepare it: To prepare it, you will have to select an avocado when it is ripe. Cut it in half and remove the seed. Crack two small eggs and place them in the avocado halves, just in the hole left by the stone. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ºC for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the egg sets. Add a few strips of salmon and enjoy. To prevent them from moving, place the avocado halves in muffin tins.

4. Savoury chickpea pancakes with fresh cheese and avocado

• What you need: This breakfast is made with chickpea flour, so it can also be eaten by people who are gluten intolerant. Chickpeas are a very complete legume, with slowly absorbed carbohydrates, proteins, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and folic acid – a real energy boost!

• How to make it: To make about 5 small pancakes you will need 30 grams of chickpea flour, 90 ml of water, spices to taste – we recommend turmeric, sweet paprika, and garlic – and a fresh sprinkling of parsley and diced tomato. Mix the ingredients well until you have a batter similar to American breakfast pancakes. Then lightly grease a frying pan and cook the pancakes over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. When you have them all, serve them with cubes of cream cheese and avocado. Alternatively, you can mash the cheese and avocado and spread the batter on the pancakes – an original protein breakfast for daring runners!

Breakfast to drink

Finally, we recommend a pre-workout smoothie or shake that is both satisfying and energizing: strawberry, banana, cream cheese, and oats. To make it, simply place the ingredients – a banana, 4 strawberries, about 100 grams of whipped cream cheese, a teaspoon of peanut or almond butter, and two tablespoons of oat flakes – in a blender, blend and serve. If you want a thinner texture, you can add a little vegetable milk or water.

Supplements for athletes

To make your breakfast before running a real meal of champions, we recommend you start the day with a supplement for athletes like Orgono Sports Recovery because it is the best way to start your day:

• Glycine and silica help to strengthen tissues. Glycine is also a basic amino acid that is essential for the body, but which the body is almost always short of. So a supply of glycine helps to regenerate joints, restore muscle loss and prevent contractures and other muscle problems. In addition, glycine blocks apoptosis (cell death) and thus improves the oxygen deficiency in the blood which is typical of physical exercise.

As you can see, it is possible to eat breakfast before going for a run. Just keep in mind the guidelines we share in this article and don’t forget your organic silica supplement. Which of the breakfasts are you going to prepare first?