Deciding what to eat before you work out can be a little confusing. A pre-workout meal should be light enough to not weigh you down but with a decent amount of calories to get you going. Water is also an important component of a pre-workout meal. This is especially true for women and for working women. When you're a woman on the go you need something that's quick, easy to make and that can be made the day or night before. Let's take a look at 7 different meal ideas.

1. Fruit smoothie

A fruit smoothie can provide a lot of energy from the sugar in fruits. It also has plenty of nutrients making it a nutrient-dense meal option. They can be made the night before and put in the fridge. When you want to use it, just take it out of the fridge and drink before your workout.

2. Eggs and toast

Eggs and toast can be made on the spot pretty quickly. Eggs are very high in protein, which you'll need, and the toast has plenty of carbs to give you a quick energy boost.

You can make the eggs any way you want. If you prefer to have boiled eggs, then go ahead and boil them. Eggs provide a lot of options for cooking them so get creative and see what works for you.

3. Coffee and fruit

Coffee can act as a pre-workout for women when paired with a light fruit like an apple. Coffee and prework supplements have one thing in common, caffeine.

The caffeine boost will hype your body up and get you ready for that morning run. The apple provides a bit of energy to burn while you do it. You may also consider taking supplements to get more fit. See this page to learn more.

4. Half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

This option can be great for working mothers. While your getting lunch ready for your kids you can quickly get a meal ready for yourself. A whole sandwich may be too much so aim to do half of one instead.

Peanut butter is a calorie-dense food that doesn't weigh you down. This is perfect for when you want a bit of energy without wanting to get too full. This is really good right before you go on long runs and don't want to run while having that full feeling.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal has a lot of uses and can be made into numerous foods. You can make oatmeal bars, plain oatmeal, oatmeal clusters, etc. You shouldn't put carbs aside as a pre-workout meal. Carbs a great source of energy for right before a workout.

Oatmeal helps you stay full and satiate for a good while so it's a good option if your morning workouts get a little long. Oatmeal can be made the night before or the day of your workout. It depends on your preferences.

6. Mixed nuts

This option is similar to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich option. Mixed nuts provide a lot of energy from fats and carbs.

They usually keep for a long time, can be store-bought, and consumed at your own convenience. This is a good option for a woman on the go that really can't find time to prep meals for a workout.

They can also be kept in something like your purse so you can have them on you when you need them. This great for the woman that takes her lunch break as an opportunity to get some exercise in.

7. Greek yogurt and water

A yogurt is a food option with plenty of fat and protein. Both of these macronutrients are great choices for fueling a rigorous exercise routine. Water often gets neglected and should be consumed throughout the day.

Staying hydrated can help you get the most out of your workout and keep you safe. Getting dehydrated on a run or while doing heavy lifts wouldn't be a good thing.

Conclusion

A pre-workout meal doesn't have to get complicated. A lot of these options are very simple and can be prepared the night before, a few days in advance or in about five minutes. Working women do have time constraints of their own. Something that can be placed in a bag, a purse or other container can help them keep a good pre-workout snack on hand.

Eating before a workout is often preferred to working out on an empty stomach. The meals above like the mixed nuts, yogurt, and oatmeal can help keep you satiated before that workout. Water is very important and should be included in most of these meals to get the most benefit from them.

Whichever meal you choose they'll help you get through that rigorous exercise routine and help you get to a healthier you.