Everything a sports dietitian - and busy mom of 2 - eats to build muscle and fuel for workouts

"At 4:30 a.m., before her husband and two kids are up, Morgan Walker is typically just starting her workout. "I'm kind of a first-thing-in-the-morning type of person when it comes to exercise," Walker, a 32-year-old registered sports dietitian at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania, told Business Insider. Walker focuses her own workouts on a mix of cardio and strength training. Each week, she spends three to four days building muscle mass by gradually increasing the weights and rep counts of exercises like bench presses, deadlifts, and squats. She also runs twice a week, for up to an hour at a time."

"Occasionally, she'll throw in a higher-intensity workout. "Usually, it's a shorter session that's 30 minutes during one of my kids' naps where I'll do some sprint intervals or use our heavyweight bag at home," she said. The rest of the time, she and her husband try to walk outside as much as possible with their kids, who are three and one and a half years old. Fueling up for her workouts takes a little effort - Walker said she preps the bulk of her meals in advance, from homemade meatballs to sheet-pan dinners."

"Right when she gets up, Walker starts with a small snack. "I always have something small, easy to digest, and carbohydrate-focused," she said. Her favorite pre-workout snacks are dried fruits (such as dried mango), applesauce, or half of a granola bar. She sneaks in protein-packed cottage cheese and Greek yogurt Walker loves cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, both of which are high in protein and easy to incorporate into meals. They tend to be some of her favorite protein s"

Morgan Walker wakes at 4:30 a.m. and typically begins workouts before her husband and two young children are awake. She balances cardio and strength training, spending three to four days weekly on progressive weightlifting and running twice weekly for up to an hour. She occasionally does 30-minute high-intensity sessions during a child's nap, and the family prioritizes outdoor walks. Meal preparation is central: she preps bulk dinners like homemade meatballs and sheet-pan meals. Pre-workout snacks are small and carbohydrate-focused, while cottage cheese and Greek yogurt provide convenient, protein-rich options throughout the day.

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