After a year of being stuck at home due to the pandemic, dalgona coffee and banana bread were the go-to comfort food in every household. The worst part? It takes a toll on your mental health and work productivity. If you feel sluggish in the afternoons or lack the energy to make it through a hectic workday, you need to include instant energy food in your diet. Skip the sugar-loaded diet sodas and switch to foods rich in protein and complex carbohydrates instead.
Incorporating instant energy food and drinks will fuel your body and mind. Here are 8 instant energy-giving food items that help you avoid the spikes and dips of sluggishness:
1. Banana
Wondering which fruit gives instant energy to the body? It's a banana. Loaded with potassium, carbohydrates, and Vitamin B6, bananas are the ideal snack for an instant energy boost. Consisting of three types of sugar- fructose, glucose, and sucrose, this instant energy-giving food gets absorbed by the body at different speeds. You get an instant rush of energy from the glucose while feeling satiated as the sucrose maintains a steady blood sugar level.
2. Oats
This instant energy-giving food is one of the healthiest grains, rich in fibre, Vitamin B, manganese, and iron. Oats, when eaten with fruit for breakfast, make an excellent high-energy and filling meal. You can choose from a variety of textures- rolled, crushed, groat, and steel-cut. With only 303 calories, oats can be cooked as porridge or baked as muffins for a quick in-between snack. When working out or following a diet, if you ever wonder what to eat for instant energy; oats is a natural pick.
3. Sweet Potato
Unlike its name, this instant energy food is distantly related to the carb-loaded potato. Packed with beta carotene, an antioxidant, sweet potatoes are a great way to increase blood levels of Vitamin A. Baked, steamed, or fried, sweet potato is full of fibre and complex carbohydrates that keep you fueled through the day. Manganese in this food allows a better and more efficient breakdown of nutrients, making it an excellent alternative to regular potatoes.
4. Apple
Of all the instant energy fruits, the apple is grown around the year. A delicious crunchy snack, apples are high in fibre and aid in better digestion. High in immune-boosting Vitamin C, apples are a diabetes-friendly fruit that improves gut health. With only 95 calories, apples are an excellent source of weight loss that aids sustainable energy in the body in-between meals.
5. Dark chocolate
Need a quick sugar fix? Dark chocolate is instant energy-giving food that is not as healthy as others on the list but an excellent nutritious treat to curb your sugar pangs. Dark chocolate with over 75% of cacao ensures a higher level of flavonoids, an antioxidant that boosts energy and better delivery of oxygen to different parts of the body and mind.
6. Spinach
An incredibly healthy leafy green vegetable, spinach is an instant energy food because of its high iron content. The iron helps build haemoglobin that supplies oxygen to the tissues in the body. Vitamin K1 and folic acid make spinach an essential superfood for pregnant women. It reduces blood clotting and boosts overall immunity.
7. Almonds
A powerhouse of nutrition, almonds are loaded with healthy fats, omega-3,6, and fatty acids that ensure a slow release of energy. One of the best quick-energy foods, almonds are an excellent snack whether eaten raw or soaked. Packed with protein, antioxidants, and Vitamin B, this power-packed nut reduces sluggishness and curbs untimely hunger pangs.
8. Yoghurt
Simple, delicious, and packed with calcium- yoghurt helps the body slow digestion down, and in turn, preserve energy. A great snack or an on-the-go breakfast treat, yoghurt with almonds or chopped fruit gives you a kick of protein and calcium to keep you running till the next meal. As a bonus, yoghurt is also a source of Vitamin B2 and B12, both of which help form adenosine triphosphate, commonly used as fuel for the body.
If you ever suffer from diet-related fatigue, grab any of these 8 quick energy foods and watch your day transform. A balanced mix of fruits, dairy, nuts, and leafy greens in your diet will ensure your body absorbs all the right nutrients to keep you on your toes.
Disclaimer: Before incorporating any aforementioned food suggestions into your diet, consult with your family physician or a diet specialist. Individual reactions to different foods can vary significantly, and what may be beneficial for one person could potentially cause adverse effects in another. The information provided above is a compilation of general benefits associated with consumption of particular food and may not apply universally to every body type. Always prioritise personalised medical advice to ensure your specific health needs and dietary restrictions.