10 Best Trader Joe’s Foods for Runners, According to Dietitians

Trader Joe’s is a favorite supermarket among many of us due to its fair prices and unique food choices. You can spend hours walking through the aisles, and you’ll find a ton of options that fit perfectly into your diet that contain all the nutrients you need to support your training.

But at times, those options can feel overwhelming so we spoke with two registered dietitians about the items they consider to b the best foods for runners: Angie Asche M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition and author of Fuel Your Body, and Sarah Schlichter, M.P.H., R.D.N., founder of Nutrition for Running and host of the Nail Your Nutrition podcast. They broke down their picks for pre-, mid- and post-run fueling. As a quick refresher:

• A pre-run snack should ideally be rich in simple, fast-acting carbs to supply energy, but it shouldn’t have too much fiber to cause GI issues. These carbs digest fairly quickly and can be eaten 30 to 60 minutes before a run.
  
• Mid-run snacks are best for easy to moderate efforts that are 90 minutes or longer (or high-intensity efforts over 60 minutes), and they should contain simple carbs and sugars to give you energy fast. Depending on your workout and individual needs, it’s recommended to refuel every 30 to 45 minutes.
  
• A post-run snack or meal should have a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein to replace glycogen stores and promote muscle recovery. (In other words, a food should have 1 gram of protein for every 3 grams of carbs.)

→ No matter what you’re looking to improve in your running life, find it with Runner’s World+!