Top Foods That Boost and Sap Energy

What you eat can help you stay energized or may make you fizzle out. Here, we break down the best and worst foods for maintaining high energy.

Big Sapper: Doughnuts

Sugar-crash alert. Doughnuts are one of the worst culprits for sapping your energy. If you're craving something sweet, try one of these healthy dessert recipes instead.

Big Sapper: White Bread

Like sweets, refined carbs boost blood sugar fast for quick energy. But they leave us more lethargic than ever. Try whole-grain bread instead—it provides more fiber than white bread. Better yet, ditch the bread altogether and instead opt for one of these even healthier whole-grain recipes.

More: 5 Best Carbs for Athletes

Moderate Pick-Me-Up: Spinach

Cash in on B vitamins to fuel metabolism and cell-protecting antioxidants. Spinach is also a good source of belly-filling protein and fiber, as well as bone-building calcium. It's also among the superfoods that fight disease.

Moderate Pick-Me-Up: Beans

All the fiber in beans slows digestion and leaves you feeling full. Try one of these easy black bean recipes.

More: 9 Reasons Why Athletes Should Eat More Beans

Big Booster: Greek Yogurt

By now, everyone you know probably has a container of Fage or Chobani sitting in their fridge. With a hefty dose of protein along with an ideal proportion of carbs and fat, eating Greek yogurt will give you a sustained charge. Best yet, it can be worked into tons of recipes. Try these Greek yogurt recipes to start.

Big Booster: Quinoa

An energy trifecta, quinoa is fiber-rich, has healthy fats, and is a complete protein. Try this tasty quinoa recipe: toasted quinoa with chiles and corn.

More: Toasted Rainbow Quinoa With Roasted Tomatoes

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