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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;It can be tough to find the perfect pre-exercise food. You want something that\u2019ll fuel your workout, but it also needs to be light enough that it won\u2019t weigh you down. The ideal workout food is something that is low in calories, contains quality carbs, and is high in protein. Plus, it has to be delicious. I\u2019m\u00A0&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/lisa-lillien-a-k-a-hungry-girl-diet-advice-expert-1087806&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hungry Girl&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;\u00A0Lisa Lillien, and I\u2019ve got six snacks that fit the criteria.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fat-free plain &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/smart-ways-to-zazzle-up-greek-yogurt-1087886&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Greek yogurt&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; is the ultimate exercise snack: tons of protein (twice as much as regular yogurt), super filling\u00A0without being heavy, and it&amp;amp;#39;s easy to eat on-the-go. There are plenty of brands that make perfectly portioned 100-calorie containers. If you find the taste of plain Greek yogurt a little too tart, mix in a packet of natural no-calorie sweetener (like Truvia), some raspberries and blueberries, or some low-sugar preserves. For some healthy fats that\u2019ll kick your workout into high gear, add a few almonds! Even\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;One perfect pre-workout food comes straight from Mother Nature: the banana. A medium-sized banana has just about 100 calories, 27g carbs, and almost no fat. That\u2019s just enough calories to quiet your hungry stomach for the duration of a workout, and just enough carbs to keep you energized. Plus, it comes in its own container. Can&amp;amp;#39;t beat that! (And no, bananas themselves &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/do-bananas-cause-weight-gain-1087898&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;won&amp;amp;#39;t cause weight gain&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;).\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Smoothies definitely have potential to be a nutritious light snack, but you should be extra careful with them\u2014they can be packed with\u00A0way&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;\u00A0&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;too many sugary calories. Your best bet is to &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/low-calorie-smoothie-ideas-1087829&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;DIY your own low-calorie smoothie&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Stick with unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite light milk), unsweetened frozen fruit, no-calorie sweetener, fat-free Greek yogurt, and other low-calorie mix-ins. Aim for 150 calories or less and avoid added sugar. This way, the smoothie will energize you for your workout without leading to a sugar crash later in the day.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Oatmeal is chock-full of quality carbs and it\u2019s\u00A0so&amp;lt;em&amp;gt;\u00A0&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;satisfying. It\u2019s an especially good choice if you want to eat a full breakfast before a mid-morning workout. A popular way to cook oatmeal is to make a bowl of \u201C&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-make-a-big-diet-friendly-bowl-of-oatmeal-1087863&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;growing oatmeal&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.\u201D That&amp;amp;#39;s one serving of old-fashioned oats cooked for twice as long and with double the liquid. The result? A super-sized portion! Just give yourself some time to digest it before you lace up your sneakers.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Need something fast, easy, and shelf-stable? Snack bars are for you. But not so fast! Not all snack bars are created equal. For pre-workout purposes, you want &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/healthy-protein-bars-for-weight-loss-3573493&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;a protein bar&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; with less than 200 calories and a fair amount of protein. And watch out for fat and sugar! Certain snack bars pack surprisingly high stats in those areas.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;One of my all-time favorite snacks is a Fuji apple with a wheel of Mini Babybel cheese, and it just so happens that it\u2019s also the perfect fuel for exercise. Apples have just enough calories and carbs to keep your energy up, and Mini Babybel cheese adds a bit of protein and extra flavor. It all adds up to a satisfying snack with under 200 calories. Sweet!&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/smart-pre-workout-snacks-1087923>