Top 10 eating tips to keep you energized all day năm 2024

Raise your hand if you've ever been so caught up in life that you accidentally skipped lunch! Sometimes it's disturbingly easy to power through your day without putting enough fuel into your body, which can leave you feeling hangry, weak, and completely unenthused at the thought of a post-work exercise session. As it turns out, eating every few hours is the key to getting both your body and mind through the day.

"Structuring your day so you're eating smaller, more frequent meals will not only keep you energized and focused, it will help keep your metabolism working at its highest so that you are constantly burning calories at your body’s maximum rate," Brigitte Zeitlin, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.N., founder of the New York-based BZ Nutrition, tells SELF. It'll also stop you from getting so ravenous you overeat during any one meal, she explains.

It's not just about eating every few hours, but about eating the right things. Each meal and snack should have a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Together, these macronutrients are magic: Carbs offer up energy while protein and fat are satiating. "When you add fat and protein to carbohydrates, the carbs are released more slowly into your bloodstream and your meal is digested a lot slower as well," Abby Langer, R.D., owner of Abby Langer Nutrition in Toronto, tells SELF. "That means you’ll be fuller for longer, and you wont have blood sugar spikes and crashes."

Here, a breakdown of what you should eat when, plus a few quickie recipes for inspiration.

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8:00 A.M.

In general, breakfast should happen within an hour of you waking up, says Zeitlin. (You don't have to eat breakfast if you're not into it, but if you know it's an important part of you feeling good, definitely don't skip or delay it.) You're especially looking for a supercharged combination of protein and fiber. "Typically, breakfast foods are very carb-rich, like pancakes or a bagel with butter," says Langer. But filling the tank with fiber-less carbs and no protein is going to leave you hungry again soon (a feeling which could persist throughout the day) and won’t give you the sustained energy you need.

Some breakfast ideas:

1. Scrambled or hardboiled eggs on whole wheat toast. Don't ditch the yolks: "The fat in them helps keep you full, and that's what gives your eggs flavor," says Zeitlin.

2. Oatmeal made with milk, topped with a cup of fruit and ounce of nuts. "There's no real reason to choose fat-free [dairy]," says Langer. "With fat it tastes so much better, and fat is good for satiety."

3. Two or 4 percent Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts. Same here: Choose yogurt with some level of fat so you're not hungry again an hour later.

For more delicious breakfast ideas, check out 10 Whole30 Breakfast Recipes You’ll Actually Want To Eat.

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10:30 A.M.

"If you’re having a late lunch, you definitely want to squeeze in a mid-morning snack that is going to pack the greatest punch," says Zeitlin. The mid-morning snack is somewhat optional; depending on your breakfast, you might be able to cruise through to lunch with nary a hunger pang. But if you do opt for a mid-morning snack, keeping it under 200 calories is a good idea. Otherwise, it starts getting into meal territory.

Some mid-morning snack ideas:

1. About an ounce of nuts. "My go-to snack right now is a 100-calorie pack of Wonderful pistachios," says Zeitlin. "They are a good source of that protein/fiber combo that is so vital to stay alert, plus they are loaded in healthy fats, which help me make it to lunch with no problem!"

2. A piece of whole wheat toast with avocado and hot sauce. In addition to being almost unbelievably delicious, avocado's healthy fats can help keep you full, says Langer. Stick to 1/4 of an avocado or less to stay within the 200-calorie guideline.

3. A cup of berries with string cheese. Langer recommends capping your fruit intake at three servings throughout the day while Zeitlin recommends two or fewer. Even though the sugar in fruit is naturally occurring, it's still sugar, so going overboard can eventually lead to weight gain and health issues, Zeitlin explains.

For more delicious mid-morning snack ideas, check out 9 Simple And Filling Snacks You Can Make At Work.

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1:00 P.M.

Now is vegetables' time to shine. "Lunch is an awesome time to get in a lot of vegetable servings," says Langer. Zeitlin agrees: "Veggies are super high in fiber, which is going to fill you up and keep you full, focused, and energetic enough to get through the afternoon."

Some lunch ideas:

1. A huge, colorful salad with a ton of vegetables, some feta or goat cheese, avocado, and protein like shrimp, tuna, or chicken. "This is my go-to lunch," says Langer. Zeitlin adds that using nuts or an olive oil dressing is a great alternative to cheese and avocado if you're not into those options.

2. A grain bowl with brown rice, quinoa, freekeh, or another healthy carb, plenty of vegetables, leftover chicken, and tahini dressing. "There's nothing wrong with having carbs, but keep them at one cup or less," says Langer.

3. Savory Greek yogurt with chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, cumin, and mint. Using yogurt for savory meals instead of sweet can be surprisingly delicious, says Langer.

For more delicious lunch ideas, check out Tasty Lunches You Can Make With 5 Ingredients Or Less.

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4:00 P.M.

Cue the dreaded post-lunch slump. "I have so many clients who don’t bother to eat an afternoon snack, so they're starving and either pick up takeout on the way home or hoover the entire kitchen while making dinner, then actually eat dinner," says Langer. Zeitlin sees similar patterns. "[After lunch], so many people are trying not to eat again until dinner, but your body needs to refuel," says Zeitlin. FYI, coffee isn't enough.

Some afternoon snack ideas:

1. An apple or banana with no sugar-added nut butter. "Barney Butter and Justin’s are two brands that make great single serving-pouches of peanut and almond butter that are easy to have in your bags or keep in your desk drawer," says Zeitlin. If you're spooning your own out from the jar, she recommends keeping your serving to a tablespoon.

2. 2 Medjool dates with blue cheese. Yes, this sounds like a drool-worthy treat, and that's a good thing, says Langer. Eating well is about finding items that offer up healthy benefits but also taste good, otherwise you're less likely to stick with it.

3. Plain popcorn with a tablespoon of melted peanut butter. "It's filling, has a little fat, protein, and carbs, and is really full of fiber," says Langer. "This is an amazing snack."

For more delicious afternoon snack ideas, check out 14 Low-Calorie Afternoon Snack Options From A Registered Dietitian.

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7:00 P.M.

"Whether you are dining out, ordering in, cooking, or doing a quick grab-and-go from Whole Foods, you want to build [dinner] around your vegetables," says Zeitlin. "They can be cooked or raw, but they should definitely be the leading role. If possible, try to mix it up from what you had at lunch to give your taste buds a change."

Some dinner ideas:

1. Roasted salmon with baked asparagus and zucchini. Feel free to add some pasta or grains if this isn't enough food for you, says Langer. (Don't fear carbs at night!)

2. Steamed broccoli and cauliflower with chickpeas and whole-wheat pasta. Zeitlin recommends using olive oil during your food prep so you can get in those healthy fats. That helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins in vegetables, says Langer.

3. A brown rice bowl with black beans, salsa, cilantro, and avocado. "Beans are rich in health carbohydrates, but technically you can use them as a meat alternative," Langer explains.

For more delicious dinner ideas, check out Registered Dietitians Reveal The High-Protein Dinners They Eat Regularly.

And of course, a note about dessert: Contrary to popular belief, dessert isn’t actually a necessary part of a well-rounded meal. That being said, if you want something sweet to cap off your supper, you should absolutely give yourself license to indulge. Moderate indulging can actually help you get closer to any weight or fitness-related goals because it keeps you from yo-yo dieting. Also, it's just necessary to remain sane. But if you know you're going to have dessert, Langer suggests swapping out something else on the menu, like a glass of wine. "Then you're not really adding calories, just substituting them," she says. And if that day you're feeling like having both because it's a special occasion, that's OK, too.

What foods give you energy all day?

Foods That Boost Your Energy.

Doesn't All Food Boost Energy? 1/15. Yes, but in different ways. ... .

Oatmeal. 2/15. It's a complex carbohydrate. ... .

Eggs. 3/15. A single one has just 70 calories, and yet has 6 grams of protein. ... .

Chicken. 4/15. ... .

Beef Liver. 5/15. ... .

Oysters. 6/15. ... .

Beans. 7/15. ... .

Sardines. 8/15..

What are the top 10 energy foods?

Keep them on regular rotation to fight fatigue before it begins..

Bananas. Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the United States. ( ... .

Dark chocolate. Yes, chocolate! ... .

Fatty fish. ... .

Green tea. ... .

Leafy greens. ... .

Nuts. ... .

Pumpkin seeds. ... .

How do I keep energetic all day?

Here are nine tips:.

Control stress. Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy. ... .

Lighten your load. One of the main reasons for fatigue is overwork. ... .

Exercise. Exercise almost guarantees that you'll sleep more soundly. ... .

Avoid smoking. ... .

Restrict your sleep. ... .

Eat for energy. ... .

Use caffeine to your advantage. ... .

Limit alcohol..

How can I eat to stay active all day?

eat a wide variety of foods. drink plenty of fluids. eat enough carbohydrate to keep you going during exercise. eat plenty of wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of milk, yoghurt and cheese, lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and pulses.nullEating well and keeping active | nidirectwww.nidirect.gov.uk › articles › eating-well-and-keeping-activenull