16+ High Carb Lunches for Runners
- November 8, 2021
- Last Updated: September 3, 2024
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- Recipes
This post will share easy lunches for runners and high carb meals for athletes to help improve and stabilize energy, and prep or help aid in recovery from workouts and exercise.

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We all tend to know about the benefits of breakfast (refer to this post about breakfast for athletes), and dinner is usually our largest meal, but what about lunch?
Lunch can be short, skipped, or missing key nutrients as it’s typically our “busiest” time of day.
Lunch, however, has many benefits and is a very important mid-day meal for runners.
You need to replenish energy and/or prepare for future expended energy, and these healthy lunches for athletes can help do just that.

For those who have run in the morning, lunch provides a subsequent meal to aid in the continual muscle recovery from exercise.
On the flip side, for those who will be running later in the day (or doing double workouts), lunch can be a great pre game snack and help top off glycogen stores and provide sustained energy for the rest of the day.
You’ll obviously just want to make sure you eat some healthy athlete meals for dinner for recovery, since athletes need to be eating consistently.

RELATED
Check out these non sandwich lunch ideas for adults.
Simply eating salads are not enough for most runners, so these healthy lunches for athletes will provide 50+ grams of carbohydrates per recipe.
For those looking for cheap meals for college students that are high in carbs, rely on some of these recipes, grains, legumes and fruits!
And lastly, if you meal prep some of these options, if you have no appetite after a workout, it can already be made for you!
What Makes a Healthy Athlete Lunch?
A healthy, balanced athlete lunch will have all food groups present, with a large focus on carbohydrates and protein.
The exact macro breakdown may depend on an individual athlete’s needs, as well as when their workout is.
Balance and variety are important in healthy lunches for runners because each macronutrient group has a purpose.
When making lunch, the breakdown may vary depending on when and how long the planned exercise is for.

For example, did you work out in the morning or just before lunch? If so, a post-run lunch will focus around carbs and protein for recovery.
On the flip side, if you’re planning a pre-run lunch, the focus will be on mostly low-fiber carbohydrates, with minimal fat and protein.
Eating high-fiber foods may contribute to runners gut symptoms and we don’t want to eat them before exercise.
As so, here are some examples of what to eat before running in the morning.
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Let’s review each group while making a healthy lunch plate.
Carbohydrates
Carbs should make up the basis of an athlete’s lunch plate.
This is because carbs are the quickest and most available source of energy for exercise, and they have a purpose in loading up for exercise and helping aid in recovery as well.
Learn more about carb loading here, or specifically, carb loading before a marathon where these lunches will be key!
Carbohydrates should generally make up between 45-60% of an athlete’s plate.
Depending on the training level and intensity of an athlete, the carbohydrate recommendations may range from 3-5 grams of carbs per kg a day (low intensity or off-season), to 6-8 g/kg/day (moderate).
Some even range as high as 9-12 g/kg/day for those who are exercising for hours a day at a high intensity.

Using the grocery list for athletes, you can make sure you have ample carbohydrate choices on hand to make lunch. I love to pull from some of these best carb loading foods for running.
Some of my favorites (that I stock up on from Thrive Market) include:
- grains
- pasta
- bread
- oats
- granola
Protein
Amino acids, the breakdown of proteins, are the building blocks of muscle. They are most important after exercise, as they aid in muscle growth and stopping muscle breakdown.
Including branched-chain amino acids, especially leucine, can help with muscle growth and repair, decreasing muscle soreness and more.
Protein generally makes up between 10-35% of total calories. As discussed in this post on protein needs for athletes, total needs generally range from 1.4-2.0 grams per kg of body weight.
When possible, I’m always talking about iron for runners in our meetings too, as that is a nutrient of concern, especially among female athletes.
When we can include meat or plant-based sources of iron in our meals, that is ideal.
This turkey taco quinoa skillet recipe has both animal and plant sources of iron, plus Vitamin C from the canned tomatoes to improve absorption.

Color (Fruits and Veggies)
Having some sort of color (through fruits and veggies) on your plate is how our body gets many of the micronutrients we need, from water soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin C, B Vitamins, and antioxidants.
Antioxidant-rich foods can help manage inflammation that occurs from and during exercise, and help to maintain overall health.
Aim to have color at each meal, but as mentioned previously, you may want to limit it right before running or endurance exercise to minimize fiber and gut discomfort.
Here are some recommendations for the best fruits for runners.

Fat
Fat isn’t a macronutrient we discuss in depth around exercise, but it does play an important role in the overall diet. Fat generally makes up about 20% of an athlete’s diet.
It is helpful for reducing inflammation, improving skin and brain health, absorbing fat soluble vitamins, improving flavor and adding caloric density to an athlete’s higher needs diet.
Some longer distance athletes may become fat adapted. You can read more about the low carb diet for running here.

Fluids
Fluids, like water, milk, juices and even sports drinks can play a role in an athlete’s diet and providing calories, carbohydrates and electrolytes.
Hydration will also contribute to more energy, longer endurance, lower perceived rate of exertion, lower heart rate and more. It’s only to your benefit to stay hydrated!
See more hydration tips for runners and how to make your own electrolyte drink.
Snacks
If you have large amounts of time between lunches and workouts, it’s helpful to consider adding in healthy snacks for runners, too.
Snacks are pretty much necessities for athletes because they help bridge nutritional gaps.
They also provide great pre or post-workout fueling and recovery options, and add more calories when it can be difficult to meet energy needs through just 3 meals a day.

Lunch Ideas for Runners
While leftovers and a general sandwich can be fine on some days (definitely better than not eating at all), sometimes we want to expand upon the general healthy lunches for runners and make them more exciting.
Some common go to’s for packed lunches for runners include:
- sandwich or burrito
- grain bowl or salad – this quinoa salad with goat cheese and fruit is tasty and full of carbs and protein!
- greek yogurt smoothie – some may be nutritionally sound, but oftentimes, will be low in carbohydrates. You can add a carbohydrate source on the side!
- breakfast sandwich
- oatmeal (turmeric oatmeal for the win in helping to reduce inflammation!)
- stirfry
- pizza (if gluten free, make gluten free sweet potato pizza crust)
- soup
It’s still important that these lunches are nutritionally balanced, and high in carbohydrates, regardless if you’ve done a morning workout or plan on doing an afternoon one.
Either way, the carbs will be beneficial, and are always among the best foods to eat after running.

Best Lunch Before a Run
Before a run, aim for an easy to digest lunch, such as a simple sandwich (without ample dressing, mayo or veggies), oatmeal, eggs and toast, or grains.
You want to focus mainly on high carb, low fat meals.
Another option is to eat half of your lunch before your run, and save the other half for after.
This can help minimize gut discomfort for those with sensitive stomachs.

Hopefully, the following easy lunch ideas for runners and healthy lunches for athletes will be helpful.
Whether you’re looking for lunches for teenage athletes or adults, these recipes can be halved, increased, or modified as needed.
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Lunches for Runners
These lunch ideas for runners clock in with at least 50-60 grams of carbohydrate per serving to help fuel your endurance activity and improve recovery!
These healthy Black Bean Burrito Bowls are amazing for meal prep and staying organized in the midst of a crazy week. The flavor-packed avocado creme makes the perfect burrito bowl sauce! Make these bowls up ahead of time for a quick, easy and healthy meatless meal! {Vegan, gluten-free & dairy-free}
Power up your afternoon with this Teriyaki Chicken Power Bowl! With the whole grain spelt as the base and topped with sautéed chicken and vegetables coated in teriyaki sauce, it is the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
These customizable sweet potato black bean nachos are great as a weeknight dinner, vegetarian nachos recipe, or football food. Easy to make for groups and great for kids!
This Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust is a wholesome, gluten free and vegan pizza crust alternative that you can decorate with your favorite options. As a plant based pizza crust, it's full of flavor, fiber, nutrients and antioxidants and makes for a great post run canvas for toppings of your choice.
Roasted Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Power Bowl with black beans and quinoa. A bowl full of plant protein, whole grains, and plenty of flavor! Gluten-free and can easily be made vegan
Cater this vegetarian rice bowl to your preferences to make a filling, plant-based lunch!
This Healthy Sweetpotato Mac and Cheese is the answer to your cheesy pasta dreams. A mixture of whole wheat pasta, mashed sweetpotato, cheese and kale make this sweetpotato pasta bake a winner!
This colorful vegan couscous salad is a great addition to your summer picnic or bbq. It's filled with fresh summer veggies, whole grains and plant protein.
This Veggie Pasta Bake is a perfect easy and comforting vegetarian pasta casserole. With a variety of veggies and cheese, this vegetable pasta bake is great for crowds, easy to freeze and reheat, and convenient for meal prep!
These One Pan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas are packed with plant-based protein and fiber to make them both healthy and satisfying.
This quinoa and sweet potato salad blends savory quinoa and sweet potatoes with a variety of fresh fruit options, topped with a smooth citrus honey dressing.
This vegetarian rice bowl is packed with all of your favorite seasonal flavors and then pulled together with the creamiest cinnamon-spiced apple cider dressing. Switch out the ingredients based on what you love and have on hand to make it easy.
This Peanut Butter Coffee Smoothie is an easy, delicious coffee protein smoothie with a kick of caffeine. Enjoy it with breakfast or as an energizing snack!
This simple and delicious chicken fajita bowl recipe is great for meal prep and weeknight lunches or dinners. Learn how to put together a flavorful burrito bowl with cilantro lime rice, homemade fajita veggies and chicken, and all the best toppings.
This vegan Indian curry recipe is full of zucchini (courgette), chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and potatoes.
This bright hued sweet potato beet smoothie is the best post workout smoothie recipe. Made with mango, beets and sweet potatoes, it's antioxidant rich, and helps replenish and restore your muscles to expedite recovery.
Let us know what your favorite easy lunch options are!
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