How to Choose Energizing Midday Snacks

There are a large variety of energizing snacks you could choose to power through the middle of your day. Vegetables like celery, spinach, and hummus make good snacks. Sweet fruits like oranges, apples, and pineapples will give you a needed boost and soothe your sweet tooth. You could also choose a drink like a fruit smoothie, an herbal tea, or coconut water to increase your midday energy levels.

EditSteps

EditHaving a Snack of Fruit

1. Eat some melon. Melons of all sorts make wonderful energizing snacks toward the middle of the day. You could try watermelon, honeydew melon, or cantaloupe.^[1]
   
   • Mix and match diced melons in a tasty fruit salad.
2. Eat some peanut butter banana bites. Peanut butter banana bites are a wonderful bite-sized snack that take only seconds to make. Just slice a banana into somewhat thick slices. Scoop a teaspoon or so of peanut butter onto the banana slices. Use your hands or a fork to eat the peanut butter banana bites.^[2]
   
3. Eat an apple. Apples provide ATP, a kind of fuel that your cells use to make energy. Eating an apple will keep your energy revving through the midday. If you wish, sprinkle a bit of nutmeg and/or cinnamon on your apple slices before eating them.^[3]
   
4. Try oranges. Oranges are a juicy fruit containing vitamin C, potassium, and folate (a B-complex vitamin). These nutrients and vitamins will keep your energy levels high.^[4]
   
5. Snack on some pineapple. Pineapple contains manganese, a powerful antioxidant and an important element in the operation of the nervous system. Pineapple is great on its own, but you could also work it into a smoothie for a refreshing snack. ^[5]
   

EditSnacking on Veggies

1. Try some spiced chickpea nuts. Spiced chickpea nuts are actually not nuts at all. Rather, they’re just roasted chickpeas, often seasoned with garlic or red pepper spice. You can buy prepackaged spiced chickpea nuts in many grocery stores, or make them yourself at home.^[6]
   
   • To make the spiced chickpea nuts at home, just drain a can of chickpeas and lay them on a baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bake in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes.
2. Make some ants on a log. Ants on a log is a quick snack consisting of celery sticks with peanut butter spread on them, then sprinkled with raisins. Instead of raisins, you could use dried cranberries or dried cherries, and instead of peanut butter, try almond butter or cashew butter. Find a combo that you like to customize your energizing midday snack of ants on a log.^[7]
   
3. Have some pureed vegetable soup. Pureed veggie soup – as opposed to a more traditional veggie soup consisting of vegetables floating about in a vegetable broth – allows your body to more easily absorb the vegetables’ nutrients. Warm a cup of purred vegetable soup up for quick and energizing midday snack.^[8]
   
   • You could just pour some regular veggie soup in a blender and blend it until smooth, or snack on a soup that is already pureed, such as butternut squash soup or tomato soup.
4. Eat spinach. Spinach contains iron, a crucial ingredient in your body’s energy production. A spinach salad or a spinach smoothie might be just the snack you need to stay energized through the middle of the day.^[9]
   
5. Try a cucumber sandwich. A cucumber sandwich typically contains three ingredients: bread, mayo, and cucumbers. Slice a cucumber into thin slices. Slather mayo on two slices of whole wheat bread. Lay your cucumbers in an even layer on one slice of bread, then place the other slice, mayo side down, on top. A cucumber sandwich has substantial amounts of B5, an energizing vitamin.^[10]
   
   • Instead of regular bread, you could use a whole wheat pita pocket.
6. Eat edamame. Edamame are soy beans, a rich source of both protein and vitamin B. Pop some edamame seasoned with a bit of garlic, butter, and salt in the microwave for a quick snack.^[11]
   
7. Try hummus. Hummus is a kind of blended chickpea mash. It makes a great dip for whole grain crackers, which provide complex carbohydrates to keep you fueled through the middle of the afternoon and beyond.^[12]
   
   • Baby carrots, carrot chips, celery sticks, red pepper slices, or raw broccoli are great alternatives if you don’t have crackers on hand.^[13]
   • There are many varieties of hummus available such as red pepper hummus and garlic hummus. Choose one that appeals to you.

EditEnjoying Protein Snacks

1. Snack on a protein bar. Protein bars are available in many flavors, including cherry, strawberry, and chocolate. Choose bars with at least five grams of protein and less than 15 grams of sugar. Many protein bars are high-calorie; aim to keep your portions to less than 100 calories.^[14]
   
   • If you have a protein bar that has more than 100 calories, eat only half and save the rest for later.
2. Have some eggs. Eggs are a good source of vitamin B, which turns food into energy. You could try scrambled eggs, hardboiled eggs, or an over-easy egg on toast. For a lower cholesterol option, eat the egg whites only, not the yolk.^[15]
   
3. Try beans. Beans contain magnesium and carbs, both of which are great for providing energy. You could try black beans, pinto beans, or baked beans with rice for a quick and energizing midday snack.^[16]
   

EditChoosing Grains for Midday Energy

1. Eat brown rice. Rice contains manganese, an important component in moving the energy stored in carbohydrates and protein into your body. If you enjoy a bit of spice in your snacks, a simple snack of kimchi and brown rice is perfect for a midday energy boost. A more elaborate snack might include brown rice with sweet potatoes, nuts, and raisins for an more energizing midday snack.^[17]
   
   • White rice contains more sugar, and could cause your energy levels to crash after providing an initial boost. Stick to brown rice.
2. Try oatmeal. Oatmeal is a kind of grain which, when prepared with water or milk, turns into a delicious gruel perfect for cold winter days. Top your oatmeal with fruit, nuts, or syrup for a tasty snack.^[18]
   
3. Have some quinoa. Quinoa is a kind of grain, not unlike rice or couscous. But quinoa has higher protein levels than any other grain, and therefore makes a great midday snack. Try using quinoa just as you would rice, topping it with a bit of tofu and curry or beans.^[19]
   
4. Have some trail mix. Trail mix is a combination of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. The natural sugars in dried fruits – raisins, banana chips, and dried strawberries, for instance – provide a great source of energy. And nuts increase protein levels. Don’t eat more than a handful, though, as carb levels that rise too quickly can cause sleepiness, which would defeat the purpose of eating trail mix as an energizing midday snack.^[20]
   
   • Throw some roasted pumpkin seeds into your trail mix for an extra dose of energizing calcium, iron, and protein.^[21]
   • Flax seeds are also a great addition to trail mix.
5. Eat yogurt and granola. Granola has lots of protein to keep your energy high through the middle of the day. Paired with plain, low-fat yogurt, your midday snack will be irresistibly delicious, as well as energizing. Check the label on your granola to ensure it does not have added sugar.^[22]
   
   • You could choose to sprinkle your yogurt with diced apples or blueberries if you wish to sweeten it a bit.

EditDrinking Your Snack

1. Drink coconut water. Coconut water contains energizing electrolytes. And like regular water, it has hydrating properties that will keep you feeling fresh. The best way to obtain coconut water is by simply buying it prepackaged, but if you’re more adventurous you could get your own coconut and crack it open inside a pan or large bowl to collect the water within.^[23]
   
   • Avoid coconut water containing added sugar.
2. Try an herbal tea. Herbal teas are those not prepared with tea leaves, but instead with infusions of spices, fruits, and herbs. You might, for instance, enjoy ginger tea, ginseng tea, hibiscus tea, or elderberry tea. Herbal teas do not contain caffeine, but can improve blood flow through your veins, thus providing invigoration.^[24]
   
3. Make a smoothie. A smoothie is a drink that contains solid foods blended together until totally dissolved. For instance, you might enjoy a banana chocolate smoothie as your energizing midday snack. Just drop one banana, two tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup silken tofu, and ½ cup milk into a blender. Blend on high for thirty seconds.^[25]
   
   • If you find the consistency is too thick, add ¼ cup water, then mix again.
   • For a colder smoothie, add three ice cubes to the mix.

EditSources and Citations

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