Healthy snacks for active adults are less about superfoods and more about having something good within reach at 3pm. At our Samford gym, the members who arrive for an evening session hungry and flat usually had lunch at noon and nothing since. A planned snack fixes that.
What makes a good snack when you train
A useful snack has some carbohydrate for the session ahead, some protein to bridge meals, and it travels without a fridge or makes it through a day in a lunch bag. It also has to be something you actually want to eat.
Healthy snacks for active adults: 12 ideas
| Snack | Best timing | Travels well? |
|---|---|---|
| Banana and a small handful of nuts | 1 to 2 hours before | Yes |
| Greek yoghurt with berries | Afternoon, after training | Lunch bag |
| Rice cakes with peanut butter and honey | 1 hour before | Yes |
| Boiled eggs and a piece of fruit | Anytime | Lunch bag |
| Cheese and wholegrain crackers | Afternoon | Yes |
| Hummus and cut vegetables | Afternoon | Lunch bag |
| Homemade oat and date bliss balls | Before or after | Yes |
| Tuna and crackers | After training | Yes |
| Chocolate milk | After training | Lunch bag |
| Raisin toast | 1 hour before | Yes |
| Edamame | Afternoon | Lunch bag |
| A smoothie in a bottle | After training | Lunch bag |
Before training versus after
Before a session, keep it light and easy: lower in fat and fibre, higher in simple carbohydrate. Banana, raisin toast or rice cakes sit well. Our pre workout snack guide goes into timing in more detail.
After training, bring in more protein. Yoghurt, eggs, tuna, milk drinks or a protein smoothie all work, and dinner does the rest.
The chocolate question
Plenty of our members want something chocolatey in the afternoon. That is fine. Chocolate milk after training is a long-standing favourite in sport for good reason: it is easy, cold and has both carbohydrate and protein. Bliss balls made with oats, dates, nut butter and cacao are another option.
Some members stir a cacao-based plant food blend into milk or a smoothie for the chocolate flavour. If you want to know what is in that kind of mix, here is a plain guide to cacao superfood powder.
Make snacks automatic
- Keep a snack drawer at work with non-perishables: rice cakes, nut butter sachets, raisin toast, crackers, tinned tuna.
- Put a small cooler bag in the car on training days.
- Make a batch of bliss balls on Sunday and freeze them.
- Buy bananas twice a week so there is always one ripe.
How big should a snack be?
Big enough to hold you, small enough that it does not replace a meal. For most people that is roughly 150 to 300 calories. Bigger and harder training days need bigger snacks, and nobody should feel guilty about that.
Common questions
Is it bad to snack?
No. For people who train, planned snacks are often how they meet their energy needs. The problem is unplanned grazing on whatever is nearby.
What should I eat right before a session?
Something small and easy, such as a banana or raisin toast, 30 to 60 minutes before.
Are muesli bars a good option?
Some are. Check the label and look for ones with a decent amount of protein and not too much added sugar.
Can a snack be a drink?
Yes. Milk drinks and smoothies are easy after training, especially when you are not hungry yet.
When to get it checked
If you are hungry all the time, or your energy dips hard in every afternoon session, talk to an exercise physiologist. We will look at your training load and timing and refer you on if you need nutrition advice beyond ours.