Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

What to eat for early morning lift

10 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this short instructional video, Kelsey Higginson addresses the challenge of eating before an early‑morning workout. She explains that athletes often wake up hungry but need a quick, easily digestible meal that provides sufficient energy. She recommends a simple pre‑lift snack focused on carbohydrates: a bagel topped with a banana and honey, which is easy to consume right before training. For post‑lift nutrition, she suggests a more balanced meal such as protein‑rich overnight oats with fruit or a breakfast burrito, emphasizing the need to replenish protein after the workout. The overall message balances practicality (easy to eat) with nutritional goals (carb fuel before, protein recovery after).

Chapters

What would be the best breakfast to eat before an early morning lift? Oh, the early morning breakfast. That can be tough. You're going to wake up really early. You're not going to feel hungry, but you know you need to eat something. So you need to find a balance between you being willing to eat it and then it also serving you nutritionally as well. So I would say something along the lines of a bagel with a banana and some honey on top. You're focusing on more carbohydrates and then you would pack a more balanced breakfast for after that lift. So that's where you can do some protein overnight oats with some fruit on the side, or that's where you can pack a breakfast burrito to eat afterwards. But beforehand, I would say a bagel with a banana would be a great place to start because it's easy to eat right before practice.