Quick and Easy Energy-Boosting Snack Ideas

08:57am - July 30, 2013

Quick and Easy Energy-Boosting Snack Ideas

When you are busy burning calories and building muscle at the gym, you’ll need to replenish your carbohydrates with a filling snack. Taking a few minutes out of your workout to chow down on a snack will offer a number of benefits: it will keep your metabolism, give you better mental focus, and it will boost your energy levels, all of which are critical to a good workout. In this post, we’re going to cover some quick and easy energy-boosting snack ideas.

Celery and Peanut Butter

One delicious on-the-go snack idea is a bag of fresh celery sticks with a small cup of peanut butter. By themselves, celery doesn’t offer a whole lot of energy. Although it contains potassium, fiber and several essential vitamins, it has very little protein or fiber. To make up for this, you can dip your celery sticks in some peanut butter (crunchy or plain). Not only will the peanut butter give it a beneficial boost of protein and carbs, but most people will find it tastes better as well.

Crackers With Cheese and Turkey

Another excellent energy-boosting snack idea is crackers with slices of cheese and turkey in the middle. Creating a miniature sandwich with these ingredients will offer a beneficial boost of nutrition which ultimately leads to higher energy levels. The crackers offer a prime source of carbs, while the cheese is loaded with calcium and turkey provides protein. It’s a home run combination that’s perfect for pre or post gym workouts.

Trail Mix

Okay, I admit that trail mix is one of my personal favorite workout snacks. It’s easy to make and you can bring it with you to work, the gym or practically anywhere else. The secret to making a good batch of trail mix is to include a combination of fruit and nuts. Cashews, almonds, peanuts, cranberries and raisins are all excellent ingredients to use in a batch of trail mix. Tossing a couple handfuls into your mouth will give you a near-instant boost of energy, allowing you to workout longer and harder than before.

Yogurt

Yet another energy-boosting snack is a cup of low-fat yogurt. It’s high in calcium, probiotics and even protein. You can top it off with crushed granola and/or fruit for even more nutrition and flavor. Just remember to consume yogurt in moderation because it does contain a fairly high amount of sugar. Diets in high in sugar will work to slow your body down rather than boosting your energy. A cup of yogurt every other day, however, is perfectly fine.