5 Ingredients You Need For Energy

Bypass the common go-to caffeinated or sweet treats when you need a lift and make these sustainable, energyboosting foods part of your diet instead.

- Zoe Bingley-Pullin

Feeling zapped of energy? It’s not uncommon to lack motivation as we head into the cooler months; however, it’s a relief to know that it could simply come down to the foods you may (or may not) be eating. Instead of turning to sugar or caffeine to bolster energy reserves, try to choose foods that will fuel your body to keep energy levels up year round.

People are unaware that there is a lot of power in your pantry, so I urge you to try to make clever food choices to fire your bod with real, energy-boosting foods. You probably already have them in your kitchen!

Brown rice

Rice is rice, right? It’s actually more important than we think, with more than half of the world’s population relying on it as a diet staple. Rice is a grain, meaning it is minimally processed, super-versatile and, yes, gluten-free! Not to mention eating brown rice is a great way to get wholegrains into your diet, it’s a natural source of protein and fibre, and it’s low GI for slower digestion and a sustained energy release, keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Rice is an important wholegrain that is often overlooked in the fear of eating carbohydrates. However, this notion couldn’t be further from the truth. Rice is composed of carbohydrates with small amounts of protein and virtually no fats, which you can use to your advantage for a fast and instant burst of energy during training and to help the normal functioning of the brain.

Yes, we’ve all heard of rice; however, people are often unaware of just how versatile it really is. Don’t reserve rice for dinner: it’s perfect in a sticky rice pudding for breakfast, mixed up in a lunch salad or burrito bowl, as a side in a chilli pork ragu, or to perk up a winter soup!

Quinoa