7 Best Breakfast Foods Runners Need
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified running coach
These best breakfast foods runners need will give you the energy to conquer your daily miles and recover from tough workouts. Breakfast is the most important meal for many runners, as it’s their pre-run fueling before morning training runs or races. Besides all the great breakfast food options — breakfast tacos! — breakfast also serves the important nutritional purpose of fueling up for the day’s run. A nutrient-rich breakfast can also help your body recover more quickly from hard workouts like long runs or speed training.
Related Post: Should You Have Caffeine Before Running? An Expert Weighs In
Breakfast for Runners
Sometimes I coach runners who say they don’t eat breakfast. Unless you have a very sensitive stomach or digestion issues, I recommend eating breakfast before your morning runs. Even if it’s a light snack like a banana or smoothie, some food will help give you energy for your morning run.
How much you can eat before a run depends on your stomach and digestion but I generally recommend to eat two hours before a run or if you only have an hour, have a small snack and then the rest of your breakfast after the run.
See my article on When and What to Eat Before Running for more tips on eating before your runs.
What you eat for breakfast can give you the energy and nutrients your body needs for running, and these nutrient-dense foods will give you the extra energy you need to power your workouts.
7 Best Breakfast Foods Runners Need
Here are the 7 best breakfast foods for runners:
1. Bananas
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
A banana is a classic runner’s food that offers potassium, which helps prevent muscle cramping. Potassium helps your muscles function, and deficiencies in potassium can lead to cramping and discomfort. That’s why so many races have bananas as post-run snacks, to help prevent runners from getting cramps. Grab a banana as part of your balanced breakfast routine and you’ll get about 22 mg of potassium from a medium banana. The recommended daily amount of potassium for adults is 2,600 to 3,400 mg so eating a banana is a great way to get started on your daily potassium needs.
For a hearty snack or pre-run meal, spread nut butter - such as almond butter or peanut butter - on whole wheat bread and add banana slices to the top. This tasty snack is rich in protein, potassium, and carbs, making the perfect pre- or post-run treat.
2. Oatmeal
I know it is not the most exciting food, but oatmeal is great for those carbohydrates we need for running, and is easy to digest. You can dress up your oatmeal with your favorite flavors — try adding some apples and cinnamon, almonds, or raisins for a tasty twist on traditional oatmeal. Or, make oatmeal and refrigerate it for some tasty overnight oats. You can add regular milk, almond milk, oat milk, or other nut milk to your oatmeal.
Eating oatmeal offers lots of health benefits for runners, providing a great source of carbs and fiber, and lots of antioxidants and even more protein than most grains. Half a cup of dry oats contains 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber, and vitamins and minerals such as zinc, phosphorous, iron, copper, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, manganese and magnesium. Oatmeal is also very filling, which is great for us hungry runners. Go with rolled oats or slow cooked oats for your oatmeal as much as possible as instant (quick) oats are the most processed.
3. Protein Shake
Carbs aren’t the only thing we runners need to stay fueled and strong — protein is also essential for runners. Protein helps your muscles recover after all the strain of running, and protein helps your muscles grow from your strength training workouts. If you’re running for weight loss, protein also helps you feel full longer and will cut down on your runger (runners hunger). Studies show it’s best for runners to consume protein throughout the day. To get your morning boost of protein for breakfast, whip up a quick protein shake. A quick protein shake is perfect for a small pre-run meal — blend a serving of protein powder, a banana, peanut butter, and your choice of milk.
4. Greek Yogurt
Another great source of protein and quick pre-run snack is Greek yogurt. This creamy food also boosts your gut health with helpful probiotics. Just keep your eye out for too much added sugar in your Greek yogurt.
Get a plain or vanilla flavor and sweeten your yogurt at home naturally, with fresh berries, maple syrup, honey, or granola. Sprinkle chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or flax seeds on top to add a healthy garnish.
5. Chia
Chia is a superfood and one of my favorite nutrition boosts. Chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, fiber, calcium, protein and good carbs for runners. For a boost of chia benefits, sprinkle chia seeds in your yogurt, add to your protein shake and mix into your oatmeal for a super powered runners breakfast.
6. Eggs
Eggs are a classic breakfast food for good reason — they offer a big boost of protein to start the day as well as B vitamins, which help reduce inflammation in your muscles. The complete protein in eggs will help your muscles recover and rebuild after long or hard runs and workouts. To keep your eggs healthy, cook with olive oil and add some tomatoes and green veggies like spinach or avocado for a tasty boost of vitamins and nutrients.
Check out our Smoked Salmon Spinach Omelette recipe for a tasty and healthy omelette recipe.
7. Avocado
Avocados are a great addition to your runner’s breakfast, serving up healthy fats, protein and nutrients including vitamin E, potassium, vitamin K, B-vitamins, fiber, fiber, and folic acid. Add avocados to your breakfast ingredients for an infusion of nutrients.
You can make avocado toast on whole grain bread for an awesome pre-run breakfast with good carbs, protein and fats. Or serve as a side in your big breakfast after a long run or hard workout. You can also add avocado to breakfast tacos for a boost of nutrients.
Runners, what are your favorite breakfast foods? What do you eat before a race or long run? Tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your healthy eats and training journey and get cheered on. Happy running - and eating - to you! 😊
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Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.
