Eating a well-balanced diet can help you get the calories and nutrients you need to fuel your daily activities, including regular exercise.

When it comes to eatingfoods to fuel your exercise performance, it’s not as simple as choosing vegetables over doughnuts. You need to eat the right types of food at the right times of the day.

But where do you start? And what foods are the absolute fittest? To find out, we decided to put some of the user comments and reviews on US-Reviews to good use.

Whole-Grain Cereal

If you don’t have enough to eat before you exercise, you may not have enough gas in the tank. You might burn fewer calories, too. Have some healthy carbs at least an hour in advance of your workout.

Try a bowl of whole-grain cereal with skim milk or some whole-wheat toast or a bagel. Skip the cream cheese and butter. Saturated fats take longer to digest and can affect the amount of oxygen your blood delivers to your muscles.

Another idea is whole grain Mexican Pilaf. It is a great source of vitamins. To enjoy this food before your workouts, you can use a Mexican food delivery company. However, to choose the best one, it’s a good idea to read reviews aboutMexican food delivery service in us before getting started.

Beet Juice

Recent research shows that this ruby red root veggie may be more effective at boosting energy than caffeine, or nearly anything you’ll find in the supplement aisle. When UK researchers asked male athletes to down either 16 ounces of organic beetroot juice or a placebo, those who gulped the real thing cycled for up to 16% longer, an effect scientists say isn’t achievable by any other known means, including training. To bolster your performance, invest in a juicer and grab some fresh beets, which are in season year-round. Or look for bottled beet juice, which can be sipped straight or blended into a pre-workout smoothie.

Banana

Don’t have much time before you head to the gym? Eat an apple or a banana 5 or 10 minutes before your workout for some quick, natural energy.

Your body easily digests these carbohydrates and turns them into the energy you need for exercise. Also, fruit is packed with helpful nutrients.

Broccoli

With free-radical-busting antioxidants, digestion-promoting fiber, plus a whole army of vitamins and minerals, broccoli along with kale, spinach, and green cabbage are some of the most nutrient-dense foods you’ll find in the supermarket. They are also a great source of folate (a natural-occurring folic acid), which is thought to be good for heart health and for women hoping to conceive.

Berries

After a workout, go for these instead of a bottle of juice. A lot of the fiber in whole fruits is lost as they become juice.

Blueberries, in particular, have been shown to reduce muscle soreness from strenuous exercise. Cherries are another good option. But any berry will likely help.

Veggies and Hummus

When you exercise regularly, it’s all too easy to overestimate how many calories you’ve burned. An intense, hour-long bike ride could burn 590 calories, but a more leisurely one might only use 290.

While you might feel like you’ve earned a cookie, it’s better to snack on fruits and vegetables. After you work out, pair your produce with protein to help you feel fuller and replenish muscles. Try vegetables with hummus or fruit with Greek yogurt.

Balance is key

As you settle into an active lifestyle, you’ll probably discover which foods give you the most energy and which have negative effects. The key is learning to listen to your body and balancing what feels right with what’s good for you.

Follow these tips:

• Aim to make breakfast a part of your routine.
• Choose complex carbohydrates, lean protein sources, healthy fats, and a wide variety of fruits and veggies.
• Stock your fridge and gym bag with healthy workout snacks.

The right balance of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients can help fuel your exercise routine.