FITNESS + NUTRITION GUIDE

What to Eat Before
and After the Gym

The specific nutrition your body needs around training — and how to hit those targets without spending your life in the kitchen.

Start With Your Numbers

How much protein do YOU need? Our free calculator gives you personalized targets in under 2 minutes.

PRE-WORKOUT

What to Eat Before Training (2–3 Hours Out)

Your pre-workout meal is fuel. You need enough carbs to power through your session and enough protein to prevent muscle breakdown during training. The research is clear: eating protein and carbs before exercise improves performance, reduces muscle damage, and enhances recovery compared to training fasted.

Why carbs matter pre-workout: Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in your muscles. That glycogen is your primary fuel source during intense exercise. If you train with depleted glycogen, your performance drops, your perceived effort increases, and you fatigue earlier. The "low carb before training" approach works for steady-state cardio but actively hurts performance during resistance training.

What this looks like with Clean Eatz meals: Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry (31g protein, 45g carbs), Bourbon BBQ Mac & Cheese (30g protein, 50g carbs), or Gnocchi with Meatballs (31g protein, 49g carbs) — all hit the targets perfectly and are ready in under 3 minutes. Eat 2–3 hours before you train.

POST-WORKOUT

What to Eat After Training (Within 1–2 Hours)

Your post-workout meal does two things: it triggers muscle protein synthesis (the repair and growth process) and it replenishes the glycogen you burned during training. The "anabolic window" isn't as narrow as the supplement industry made it seem — you don't need to chug a shake in the locker room — but eating a protein-rich meal within 1–2 hours of training optimizes recovery.

Why protein timing matters: Resistance training makes your muscles more receptive to protein for roughly 24–48 hours, with the highest sensitivity in the first few hours. Eating 30–40g of protein in that window maximizes the muscle-building signal. Spreading total protein across 3–5 meals matters more than any single post-workout meal — but this is still the highest-leverage meal of the day.

What this looks like with Clean Eatz meals: Beef Taco Bowl (38g protein, 29g carbs — the protein king), Chicken Sausage Bolognese (38g protein, 42g carbs), or Loaded Steak & Egg Omelette (35g protein, 29g carbs). Heat one up when you get home. Under 3 minutes, zero cooking, macros confirmed on the label.

The Full Day: A Sample Training Day Meal Plan

Need More Protein? Builder Bundle.

Builder Bundle

Every meal gets an extra 2oz of protein. 5 meals for $52.70–$53.70. That's ~70g additional protein across the bundle — built for lifters who need more fuel without more cooking.

Add to your order →

Keep Reading

Your Easy Guide to Visible Muscles (with 4-Day Workout Plan) →
How to Find Your Macros (And Actually Use Them) →
How to Meal Prep Without Meal Prepping →

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