Best Foods to Eat Before Fasting: Fuel Your Body Right

Whatever you’re using fasting for, it’s great to consult a professional before you integrate time-restricted eating into your life.

Basically, many individuals use fasting for weight-loss goals. And yes, eating during certain time frames and losing weight sounds appealing, but the quality of your food is as important as calorie restriction. 

You should fuel your body right. Nourishing yourself with healthy components positively affects your weight and improves your wellness. 

It applies to the quality, rather than quantity. If your diet consists only of highly processed and high-calorie meals during your eating windows, you’re less likely to get any benefits. Losing weight is about making balanced meal options that affect how you feel and function daily. 

Here, we’ve rounded up what to eat and avoid before fasting, and how to prepare your body for time-restricted eating. 

How Can I Prepare My Body for Fasting?

Picture this: you’ve chosen the easiest form of fasting to comply with, but how do you prepare for a fast? The following steps will help you smoothly dive into the structured fasting routine without any consequences. 

These strategies also make it easier to handle the notorious post-fast hunger.

1. Talk to your healthcare provider to make sure it’s 100% right for you
2. Prepare for possible changes in your body after fasting
3. Adjust your diet gradually
4. Drink lots of fluids
5. Pick the right pre-fast meals
6. Recharge and relax
7. Monitor your well-being and physical changes

Talk to your healthcare provider to make sure it’s 100% right for you

Talk to a trusted doctor before fasting, particularly if you have a medical condition, are taking medication, or have any other concerns. Children under the age of 18, people with insulin-dependent diabetes, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and those with a history of eating disorders should also refrain from intermittent fasting (1). 

One more thing you should keep in mind: your doctor may recommend a monitoring or check-in plan to make sure you’re tolerating intermittent fasting without any negative effects on your health.

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Prepare for the possible changes in your body after fasting

No sugarcoating things at this point: fasting isn’t all the benefits – there are also drawbacks. A study published in 2023 found that possible intermittent fasting side effects include headaches, mood swings, lethargy, and dizziness (2).

If you’re experiencing side effects, it may make sense to reduce the intensity of your workouts and relax more. Calorie reduction may already impact your body, and adding more intensive exercises can amplify these effects. Dive deeper into the intermittent fasting guide with our dedicated article.

Adjust your diet gradually

Cut back on ultra-processed foods and added sugar a few days before fasting. Replace them with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins to stabilize your energy levels and blood sugar. 

However, you shouldn’t completely eliminate ultra-processed foods and added sugar, you should just reduce the intake. If you suddenly stop eating your favorite foods, this can cause real cravings for them later. 

Drink lots of fluids

Drink enough fluids consistently during both fasting and eating periods. Adding water-rich fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, cucumber, and oranges, could also help do the job for you. 

Doing this during the pre-fasting period may help your body stay hydrated and prepare it for being on just liquid for a while. It will make the transition smoother, reducing the potential discomfort from dehydration. 

Pick the right pre-fast meals

Enjoy nutrient-dense meals before your fasting window. The best foods for fasting are balanced meals that are made up of complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats. 

They help you stay full for longer, alleviating any cravings while you fast. All the healthy options that pop into your mind, such as lean meats, eggs, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, are your true eating pals. If you’re curious how to prepare for a fast, check out our earlier article.     

Recharge and relax

A well-rested body copes with fasting more easily. Sleep enough: try to turn in and wake up at the same time daily, if possible. Mild stretching before bed is another great way to fall asleep faster. 

Stretching before bedtime may help manage or reduce stress, improve posture, decrease muscle stiffness, and promote circulation (3).

Monitor your well-being and physical changes

Keeping track on the phone or using a paper diary could help you objectively evaluate your journey. Describe each of your fasting days: your feelings, side effects, and the food you’re eating before you fast. 

You’ll see how your body changes and processes the change – it will help you stay focused on your main goals. Fasting goals motivate you to keep going, while your notes serve as a simple guide to understand how fasting impacts your body and mind. 

Read more: 12-Hour Fasting Schedule For Better Physique — A Look At Belly Fat Reduction

What Is the Best Thing to Eat Before Fasting?

Many good foods to eat before a fast are open to you. At the start of this review, you will have read that choosing nourishing foods can make a great difference to how you’ll feel during the fasting period.  

Here’s a short recap – fill your plate with:

• Complex carbs: real winners because your body digests them slowly, supplying a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream (4). Examples of complex carbs are legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products.
• Healthy fats: Replacing saturated fats with healthy fats can help lower the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, lower bad LDL cholesterol levels, and prevent abnormal heart rhythms (5). Spruce up your plate with avocados, nuts in salads, olive oil, and seeds. Fancy something sweet? Spread some peanut butter on the toast and sprinkle with crushed nuts or seeds.
• Proteins: Your body needs protein to grow and repair cells and work properly overall. This component is essential for supporting muscle mass as you age and keeping you satiated, which is particularly beneficial during fasting (6). Eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, and fish can complement your meals with exquisite taste and nutrition.
• Fiber: Another primary component for satiety and energy, fiber is a real food hit. It’s one of those components that offers many benefits: a decreased risk of heart stroke, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer. Fiber aids digestion and prevents constipation (7). Think of whole grains, legumes, fruits (berries, apples, and pears), vegetables (broccoli, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts), nuts, and seeds.

Listen to your body – add a variety of recipes to your beginner fasting schedule. Most of them require zero to few fancy ingredients. Look for something delicious and satiating. Finally, don’t force yourself to eat foods you dislike, as this will make your fasting unbearable and unsustainable. For more details about the beginner fasting schedule, take a look at our prior publication.

What to Eat Before a 16-Hour Fast

You’ve heard of different time-restricted fasting schedules. 12-hour and 16-hour fasts are the most popular choices among people. So, what should you eat before fasting for 12 hours or 16 hours? 

It’s simple. You need to eat the foods mentioned in the section above: healthy fats, complex carbs, proteins, and fiber. Here, you’re going to unlock step-by-step recipes for the top meals to enjoy before a 16-hour fast – they can also be used for other fasting regimes too. 

Check out this simple one-day meal plan to try before a 16-hour fast: 

Breakfast: A Satiating Bowl

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup potatoes
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• 1 to 2 eggs (fried, scrambled, soft-boiled, whatever your preference)
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• Fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, or basil, if desired
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Sprinkle of feta cheese or nutritional yeast, optional
• Salsa or hot sauce is optional

How to prepare: 

1. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
3. Cook the eggs to your desired preference.
4. Combine the potatoes, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, and eggs in a bowl.
5. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with feta cheese, if you’re using this.
7. Serve warm with a few dashes of hot sauce, if desired.