Last Updated on January 12, 2022 by Om Prakash

 In this post, I am about to tell you best & affordable Indian food to eat before workout. Along with this, I have listed some affordable price & best pre-workout supplements. 

It is said that if you are going to gym then you should have to consume only pre-workout supplements. But, trust me, buddy, it is not like that. You can consume foods that contain complex carbs. 

Keep reading the post to know about pre-workout, the best time to consume, food to avoid before workout and cheapest pre-workout meal in India. 

What is a pre-workout meal & supplement?

A portion of food that we consume before workout is called pre-workout meals. It contains high in complex carbs, medium in protein & low in healthy fats and fibres. The benefits of having these meals are they provide energy during workouts so that we can perform better. 

Whereas, a pre-workout supplement is slightly different from a pre-workout meal. They help to boost energy, focus and give a better pump during the results. Commonly ingredients that are found in pre-workout supplements are Caffeine, creatine, BCAA, Citrulline & arginine.

Best Indian Food To Eat Before Workout

We all know that, In today’s busy lifestyle, most of the people have not enough time to prepare pre-workout food. To take care of these things in my mind, I have added some pre-workout meal options that are Cheap, easy to cook, and easily available. 

Even, If you don’t go to the gym and perform an exercise at home or cardio, like jogging, on the treadmill then you can still have these pre-workout foods.

Also Read – what to look at before purchasing the treadmill

Let’s straight dive into the best pre-workout meal Indian.

1. Bread, Peanut Butter & Banana

The first meal in this list is bread Peanut Butter with banana. It is a commonly eaten pre-workout meal and many health experts suggest eating this because it is cheap and effective. 

To prepare this meal, all you have to do is-

1. Take 2 slices of whole wheat bread.

2. Spread the peanut butter of 1 tbsp on the slices of bread.

3. Take 1/2 banana and slice into thin pieces.

4. Put on the bread and cover with another bread slice.

5. Your first meal is ready.

Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate level. You can consume it every day. The amount of carbs and protein is also high. Hence, it is a good option.

2. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is another healthy & tasty option on this list. It is easily available at an affordable price under indian market. Oatmeal contains a high amount of complex carbs and fibres. It is also good for weight loss and improves digestion. 

To prepare this meal, all you have to do is-

1. Take a bowl of oats and a cup of milk.

2. Cook for at least 4-5 minutes on medium flame.

3. Your oatmeal is ready.

4. You can add a tbsp of peanut butter and 1tbsp of honey (optional).

3. Sweet potato boiled with curd

Sweet potatoes are high in carbs and medium in protein & fibre. It is said that it helps you in muscle gain. If you have not available, use normal potatoes instead of this but sometimes. 

To prepare this meal, all you have to do is-

1. Take a 60 -70gm sweet potato. 

2. Boiled for at least 15-20 minutes.

3. Sprinkle some salt on the potatoes.

4. Take a small bowl of curd.

5. Enjoy 😀.

4. Banana and black coffee

We all know that banana is a very good source of potassium and carbs. When I used to go to the gym, I would eat 2 bananas before a workout. The banana gives energy to perform better during workout. Therefore, many fitness freaks love to eat bananas most of the time, along with pre-workout.

Have 2 bananas & a cup of black coffee 1 hour before going to the gym. 

5. Black soaked chickpeas

Black chickpeas are the powerhouse of energy. It is an aliment of horses. The good thing about chickpeas is that it is commonly included in Indian food. Carbohydrates and protein are available in balanced amounts. 

If we talk about the health benefits of chickpeas. It provides energy during workout, help in weight gain and weight loss, improves digestion and immune system.

To prepare this meal, all you have to do is-

1. Take a bowl of soaked chickpeas.

2. Add Onion, chillies, tomatoes and chat masala

3. Mix well and enjoy.

4. Have black coffee after 30 min.

6. Black Coffee

As you may notice above, I have added black coffee with every pre-workout meal. But what’s the reason behind this?

Black coffee is the very Cheapest pre supplement and a lot of people consume it before workout. Caffeine is present in coffee which helps to provide energy, improve Focus, boost our metabolism and is effective in weight loss.

1. Take a sachet of Bru or Nescafe which cost you 2 rupees.

2. Add in 1 cup of lukewarm water.

3. Mix it well and enjoy.

7. Brown rice and Soya chunks bhurji

If you are looking for an Indian vegetarian pre-workout meal as an option then this will be a very good choice for you because it is easy to Cook and provides a good amount of protein, complex carbs & fibre. 

To prepare this meal, all you have to do is:

1. Boil 40 grams of soya chunks and slice them into thin pieces. 

2. After that, take a non-stick pan and add a tbsp of mustard or coconut oil. 

3. Upon heating of oil, add some Onion, garlic paste, tomato into oil and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Now, pour the chunks and sprinkle some salt to taste and Cook for 10 minutes on the medium flame.

5. Your soya chunks bhurji is ready.

As for the rice, take 200 gm of cooked brown rice to fulfil the portion and contents. Now, you can enjoy your delicious meal. 

This meal contains a decent amount of complex carbs, protein and fibre. Apart from that, it should be consumed 1.5 hrs before going to the gym because it is a kind of bit heavy meal or else you will feel bloated during the workout session.

As a matter of fact, brown rice is costly. If you are a student or bachelor who has no high budget nevertheless you can replace it with white rice in this pre-workout meal.

If you are a non-vegetarian then you can also replace the soya chunks with 100 grams of cooked chicken breast. 

These were the list of cheapest and best pre-workout meals in India. I have been eating these meals for a couple of years. I would strongly recommend you to add this in your pre-workout diet. 

Let’s have a look at the cheapest pre-workout supplement

Best Pre-workout supplement in India 2021

1. BCAA

2. Creatine Monohydrate

3. Citrulline Malate

4. Black Coffee or Green tea

Important notes: 

1. If you are a beginner, you should avoid pre workout supplements because it may cause bad effects on your health. 

2. Beginners can consume all of those pre-workout meals which I mentioned above. Along with black coffee.

3. If you are intermediate then try to focus on pre-workout meals rather than pre-workout supplement. However, if you want to try those supplement, make sure to ask your gym trainer before consuming.

4. Overall, many health experts suggest that the pre-workout supplement are effective for those persons that are either athletes or advanced level fitness freak or bodybuilder.

These were the list of pre & post workout meal in India 2021. I hope you get it all. Let’s move further on our next topic.

Best time to consume pre-workout 

We all know that pre workout means, the food or supplement taken before workout. It is considered as the best way to consume pre-workout 1 or 2 hours before a workout.

Important tips:

1. If you have a pre workout meal that is high in carbs, healthy fat and calories then the best time to consume is 2 hours before workout.[ For example, sweet potato, boiled rice with chicken and peanut butter bread sandwich.]

2. If some pre-workout meal contains a medium amount of carbs, healthy and protein then 1-1.5 hours before workout is enough. [Oats, bananas, chickpeas]. For black 30 min is enough.

Cheapest Preworkout meal or food for weight loss in india

• 1 cup cooked oats with a cup of black coffee

• 1 and a half pieces of bananas & black coffee

• 1 peanut butter bread sandwich with half sliced banana

• 100 – 150 gm of cooked Brown rice and a bowl of lentils 

• 1 sweet potato and half bowl of curd

• 1 bowl of soaked chickpeas and a cup of black coffee.

what not to eat before a workout

We have discussed best Indian food to eat before workout or pre-workout Indian meal but we should also know about what is the worst things to eat in pre-workout. The following lists are:

1. Fried & junk food

2. Avoid so many carbs rather simple and complex carbs too.

3. Not add sugary food.

4. Too much fibre-based food & dairy products as well.

If you add these meal in you pre-workout then it may cause some problems like – bloating, indigestion, heartburn and feel you lazy during workout. Also, it affects your performance.

Few Words Before Wrap Up

I have been going to the gym for more than 3 years. Thereby, I have observed the benefits of having pre-workout meal.

If you want to give your 110% during workout then make sure to not miss your pre-workout. 

Have a pre-workout meal with a cup of black coffee instead of supplements. Besides, Eat food that could easily digest within 1-2 hours. 

Avoid having junk food in pre-workout. Along with this, don’t consume a healthy meal in a large amount too.

Keep in mind that your pre-workout meal should be high in carbs and medium in protein & fats and post-workout meals are high in protein & low in carbs.

Frequently Asked Question

As we all have understood properly that what are the best indian food to eat before workout but don’t you think that we should have to know about some faqs on cheapest pre-workout meal. I have listed some question & their answers below.

Eat, Sleep & Workout, repeat.

Thanks For Giving Your Valuable Time.