Rev Up Your Energy Level
Choose nutritious snacks and hard-to-chew foods (apples, carrots, nuts). Aided by the action of chewing, these “hard chews” release glucose slowly and steadily into your bloodstream.
Don’t wait until you are famished to eat. It takes ½ hour to convert food into energy.
Eat smaller and more frequent meals to keep your energy level up and avoid cravings.
Include protein-filled snacks as often as possible (e.g. yogurt, eggs, milk, nuts/nut butter).
Feel Energized All Day
A good start: Quick breakfast ideas
- 2 slices of whole grain bread with natural nut butter and a piece of fruit
- Plain yogurt, frozen berries, bran cereal and mixed seeds (pumpkin, flax, chia)
- Scrambled egg wrap with spinach in a whole grain tortilla with an orange
- Fruit smoothie made with milk, frozen fruits, yogurt and ground flaxseed
- A bowl of high fibre cereal with sliced bananas and walnuts.
Avoid Afternoon Crashes and Slumps
Avoid eating too many carbs for lunch
Serotonin is released when eating meals high in carbohydrates. This hormone is known to cause drowsiness and help you sleep. Therefore, avoid large pasta dishes at lunch.
Choose instead a hearty salad with eggs or a hearty soup with beans. If you do decide to have pasta, choose whole wheat and make sure to include a source of protein.
Limit high (unhealthy) fat foods and stay away from sugary snacks
High fat meals slow down digestion while sugar gives you a rush of energy (high) followed by a crash.
Energy Boosting Snack Ideas
Raw veggies and hummus
Cottage cheese topped with berries & walnuts
Mary’s Organic Crackers OR Rice Crackers and hummus or low fat cheese (<20% MF)
Apple spread with almond butter
Plain or low-sugar yogurt with berries & hemp hearts
Unsalted nuts or trailmix ( ¼ cup) and fruit
Plain rice cakes with canned salmon/tuna
Plain rice cake and natural peanut butter
Hard-boiled egg (1-2) and fruit
Sprouted whole grain toast and avocado spread
Whole food bars: Larabar, Elevate Me bar, Simply Bar, True to Nature, Quest Bar, Kashi, homemade granola bar or energy balls
