Workout Nutrition

In order to maximize your workouts and get the best results, it's important to get the proper nutrition.  What you should be eating before/after you workout depends on whether you are doing strength training or cardio.

Strength Training:
In order to build lean muscle, your body needs a great supply of protein for muscle tissue repair.  The greater intensity of your workout, the more protein you will need.  It is recommended to have a meal high in protein 1-2 hours before strength training for adequate stores during your workout.  30- 60 minutes before your workout, your meal should be about 75% carbohydrates, and 25% protein.  The carbohydrates are for energy and should be low glycemic (don't spike your blood sugar).  This includes whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.  So, some examples of some pre-workout meals include greek yogurt, nuts, and a banana, or an egg white omelette with spinach and whole grain toast.
There is an optimal time of 30-60 minutes after you workout for recovery. With the proper nutrition, protein synthesis can occur in your muscles, allowing for the repair of tissues, as well as the replenishing of your body's glycogen stores.  Protein and carbohydrates must be eaten during this time in order for this to occur and prevent muscle soreness.  This can include a protein shake with protein powder, bananas, strawberries, and almond milk, or a salad with vegetables and chicken.  Any kind of high-quality protein such as chicken, eggs, turkey, greek yogurt, etc., is a good choice for protein.

Cardio:
Carbohydrates are needed for energy to get through a cardio workout.  A pre-workout meal should include 75% or more carbohydrates, with a little protein and fiber, 30-60 minutes before.  Low glycemic carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, etc.) are optimal for a pre-workout meal.  High glycemic carbohydrates such as white bread and packaged foods are just okay before a very intense cardio workout because they only provide a quick/brief energy boost.  An example of a pre-workout cardio meal includes oatmeal with almond milk and nuts, or greek yogurt with fruit.
After you workout, there is still that 30-60 minute window where you should be eating carbohydrates and electrolytes.  An example of a post-workout meal includes a banana and peanut butter, or even a protein shake with fruit.  If this was a cardio workout of long duration, coconut water is a drink that replaces electrolytes and doesn't have the large amount of sugar and calories in gatorade.

In both cases, make sure to be drinking a lot of water all day!