It's almost time to hit the gym for your daily workout and you're low on energy. Sometimes a hard day at work or a day spent caring for family can zap your energy reserves and make you less motivated to head to the gym. This is the perfect time for a high energy, low calorie food snack to get the boost you need to keep moving. Here are some suggestions for healthy snacks that'll pump up your energy level:
A Spoonful of Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is high in protein and rich in heart healthy fats. Combine it with a healthy source of carbs and you have a winning combination to energize and motivate yourself for a trip to the gym. Try spreading a spoonful of peanut butter onto a half of a banana. You can also add peanut butter to a whole grain cracker and get the same healthy energy boost. Just be sure to avoid overdoing the peanut butter since it's high in calories.
A Spoonful of Hummus
Hummus is also a good source for protein. Plus, the olive oil used to make hummus adds heart healthy fats to the mix. Spoon it onto a whole grain cracker or celery sticks for an energy snack. As with peanut butter, hummus shouldn't be eaten in large quantities due to the calorie content. A little goes a long ways towards easing your hunger and boosting your energy level.
High Fiber Cereal
A quick bowl of high fiber, whole grain cereal with skin milk is an excellent low calorie pick-me-up. Choose a cereal that has six grams of sugar or less to avoid turning your cereal into a high carb disaster. If you enjoy hot cereal, a bowl of oatmeal with a touch of honey can be a good choice. Whichever form of whole grain cereal you choose, add a small amount of fresh fruit to give yourself a healthy dose of antioxidants and boost your energy level even more.
An Apple With a Twist
An apple is loaded with fiber and provides a great source of natural energy. To make it even healthier and more delicious, add some peanut butter to your apple slices. Another way to add instant appeal to an apple is to microwave it for around seven minutes and sprinkle it with hot apple juice and cinnamon. Add a dollop of sugar free whipped topping and you have a healthy, high energy dessert snack.
The next time you're feeling low on energy but still need to keep going, try one of these health, high energy, low calorie snacks and you can approach the rest of the day with newfound vigor.
