The Runner’s Guide for What to Buy at Whole Foods
These nutritionist-backed recommendations can help you build a pantry full of good-for-you foods.
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Making healthy choices can be difficult when you’re crunched for time or craving something sweet and salty after a run. That’s why you should stock your kitchen with nutritious foods that are easy to use for meal prep or to grab on the go.
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, a registered dietician, certified athletic trainer, and cookbook author, shares some of her recommendations for the healthiest foods for runners to fuel their workouts and recover from training. You can find these 30 healthy items at Whole Foods, including name brands we love and products from the store’s own label, 365 Everyday Value. Use this what to buy at Whole Foods guide to fill your online Whole Foods shopping cart with the help of Amazon’s Alexa to make healthy eating even easier.
Start the day off right with some oatmeal, topped with your favorite fruits or nuts. “A quick breakfast of good old-fashioned oatmeal or overnight oats makes for an easily digestible pre-workout meal,” says White.
Pack some protein in with this trail mix blend of almonds, pecans, raisins, apricots, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Dried fruits can be high in sugar, but pairing them with nuts and seeds will provide a balanced mix of protein, iron, and fiber.
“Most runners could benefit from more iron-rich foods in their life, and it doesn’t just have to be lean beef,” explains White. Try garbanzo beans, otherwise known as chickpeas, for a plant-based source of iron. Their 6 grams of protein and fiber per serving will also help you stay full longer.
[What’s Better for Performance: A Plant-Based or Meat-Based Diet?]
Protect your immune system and heart health with the powerful polyphenols found in pomegranate. This 100 percent pomegranate juice provides an easy way to consume important antioxidants while also hydrating after a run.
“Baked, sautéed, roasted or tossed into soup, keep your kitchen stocked with sweet potatoes to add healthy carbs and cell-protecting antioxidants to just about any meal,” White recommends. Cascadia Farm’s frozen fire roasted sweet potatoes are prepped and ready to heat up in a flash.
White suggests that runners keep fiber intake low before a run or race to avoid stomach issues. But the rest of the time, she says, you should take advantage of slower digesting whole-grain based foods, such as ancient grains like sorghum with 8 grams of fiber per serving.
Rich in potassium, antioxidants, and protein, these sodium-free pistachios are great for snacking and boosting heart and gut health.
Chia seeds can be sprinkled on salads or oatmeal for extra crunch, or combined with water to make smoothies or healthy pudding paired with fruit. Either way, they offer plenty of fiber, omega 3s, calcium, and iron.
If you don’t have time to make a batch of homemade granola, Bear Naked Vanilla Almond is a healthy alternative with 3 grams of protein and fiber and just 4 grams of sugar per serving.
“Chocolate milk offers up fluid, protein, carbs, and electrolytes, plus a dose of bone-building calcium and vitamin D,” says White, making it a great post-run refresher. She recommends soy milk if you need a dairy alternative, or Fairlife chocolate milk for a lactose-free option.
Dark meat poultry like chicken thighs are another great source of iron, according to White. These boneless and skinless thighs from 365 Everyday Value will reduce cook time, price, calories and fat compared to other chicken products.
Brown rice is another great whole-grain option that should be a staple in your kitchen for its source of healthy carbs, protein, and fiber. Boil up one to two cups and stash in the fridge for quicker meal prep.
It’s worth adding hemp seeds into your diet wherever you can—mixed in a smoothie, oatmeal, salad, grains, or pasta—since they come with a whole host of health benefits from building muscle and energy to preventing anemia and heart disease.
“Leafy green veggies live up to their nutritional hype offering fiber, folate, and iron as well as other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant,” says White. This Blue Curled Kale packs 210 mg of potassium and 1g of fiber per cup, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. The frozen version means you won’t have to worry about it going bad, and it’ll be ready to use when you need it.
If you run later in the day, get a daily dose of fiber (8g per serving!) in the morning with this whole-grain breakfast cereal. Simply mix with milk for a balanced meal or sprinkle over plain Greek yogurt for extra protein.
Higher in fiber and minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc, whole grain pasta is a healthier alternative to white pasta during your regular training cycles. For carb-loading before a race, opt for the white version, which your body can more easily digest.
A handful of almonds can go a long way to fuel workouts between meals, with 6g protein, 4g fiber, 80mg calcium, 210mg potassium, and 75mg magnesium per serving. Stash single-serving baggies in your gym bag, desk drawer, or even your car.
“There’s no denying the healthy benefits and comforting feeling that comes from a bowl of guac!” says White. “The creamy, green goodness is filled with fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K to help promote healthy skin, blood, bones and provide calories to fuel performance.” Keeping avocados or guacamole on hand can be a great complement to toast, omelets, salads, and smoothies.
Keep an electrolyte supplement on hand for quick rehydration after excessive sweat losses. Nuun’s tablets can be added to your water for the boost of electrolytes you need after a hard run.
Paige Szmodis is an editor for Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics, who researches and writes home, tech, and outdoor product reviews and news.
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