Get Pumped

Looking for foods that put more fuel in your tank? Us too! Meet the natural energy boosters designed to get your motor running

- Rachel Meltzer Warren

Imagine strolling the veg aisle of your local supermarket and spotting a pile of watermelons with labels screaming ‘Mega-plus ultimate energy boost!’ Or catching a footy match where the players’ shirts herald the game’s sponsors: ‘Strawberries, for extreme endurance!’ Those foods, and heaps of others that fly under the radar, are at least as deserving of flashy labels as packaged snacks that promise a jolt. “Most of the really great ‘energy foods’ aren’t marketed that way,” says sports dietitian Lauren Antonucci. “But some of the best choices are whole foods that are naturally high in nutrients like iron, protein and essential fatty acids.” And we're all crying out for that kind of extra bump, right? Here, seven of the most highly charged, along with tasty ideas for how to eat ’em up. Start. Your. Engines.

WATER MELON

At 93 per cent Hâ‚‚O, this juicy orb is the fruit equivalent of an IV drip. “Most people don’t realise that water-rich foods can contribute up to 20 per cent of your fluid needs for the day,” says Antonucci. In young women, even mild dehydration is linked with fatigue, according to research in the Journal of Nutrition, because water is needed to sustain almost all of your body’s functions. A cup and a half of cubed melon is as hydrating as a 250ml glass of water, and it ’s also packed with vitamins A, B₆ and C, which have their own energising properties.

TRY THIS

Toss cubes with feta, olive oil, lime juice and chopped fresh mint leaves. Is it lunch time yet?

ALMONDS