Feeling lethargic lately? Can’t summon the energy to do your chores, or constantly dragging your feet to work every day? We’ve been there, and it sure doesn’t feel great.

A lot of the food we eat and enjoy on a daily basis are great sources of energy — they provide us with the nourishment necessary for us to function in our day-to-day life. Through energy-packed whole foods, we gain the physical and mental fuel to take on the challenges of each day!

The key to fending off low energy or fatigue is to focus on eating healthy foods for sustained energy. However, if you feel like you’re not receiving enough nutrients from the food you eat, you should consider taking vitamin supplements for a much-needed energy boost.

Stay away from quick fixes like energy drinks, and reach out for good sources of nutrition like fruits and vegetables so you’ll feel constantly energised and ready to go. Without further ado, let’s jump into our list of the best foods for energy.

Energy-boosting food options

Want to ensure a well-rounded diet? You’ll need to consume food that contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals essential to maintaining your energy levels. Here are some energy booster foods to consider incorporating into your diet.

Seafood

Seafood like shellfish, salmon, tuna, and mackerel are excellent foods for energy.

These foods are important in giving our body energy because they all contain iron, an essential mineral that supports energy production and maintenance. Incorporating iron-rich foods in your diet can maintain and support your energy levels.

Healthy snacks

Snacking doesn't have to be unhealthy! If you want to increase the amount of energy your body gets on a daily basis, you can opt for these energy-boosting snack alternatives.

Make space in your kitchen for cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and soy-based treats; you can have them together in a healthy snack bowl, or separately. Oats and avocados also contribute to maintaining and supporting energy.

These foods are known to boost energy because of what they’re able to give your body — magnesium. Magnesium supports energy production by playing a role in the synthesis of ATP, plus it's also necessary in breaking down and converting what we eat into energy.

Since the body doesn’t produce magnesium naturally, the best way to consume it is by eating healthy nutritious meals.

Leafy veggies

While there are plenty of vegetables that provide a great variety of vitamins and nutrients, it is especially helpful to consume leafy green vegetables to boost your energy levels.

Dark leafy greens are essential in boosting your energy levels because they provide some of the B vitamins, collectively known as vitamin B-complex. They help convert food to energy, aid in energy production, and are also responsible for energy storage and release.

Leafy vegetables also support energy production in our body by providing us with magnesium, which is not produced naturally by the body.  A magnesium deficiency could result in low energy levels, as our bodies are unable to gain nourishment from food.

Problems with nutrient absorption means our bodies have nothing to convert into energy, so even though we might be eating large quantities of food, we might still feel under-energised if what we eat lacks magnesium.

Red meat, milk, and dairy

Eating red meat is a good way to boost your energy levels, because they contain generous amounts of iron, a key mineral that our body needs to support energy production. The redder the meat, the higher the iron content. Excellent sources of iron include beef, lamb, and veal.

Did you know? The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend 455g of cooked lean meat per week, half of which should be red meat. The same can be said about milk and eggs — they all contain acetyl L-carnitine, which plays a pivotal role in energy.

Acetyl L-carnitine supports energy production — and the redder the meat you consume, the higher the carnitine content that facilitates this process. If your lifestyle or health limitations don’t allow you to consume such products, you can consider taking Vitable’s Acetyl L-Carnitine supplements to ensure that you have sufficient energy.

Citrus fruits

Who doesn’t love a zesty burst of flavour? Citrus fruits, such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, are great for maintaining and supporting energy levels. They’re excellent sources of vitamin C, a vitamin crucial in keeping our energy levels high. Plus, they make for delicious snacks and desserts, or accompaniments to meals too.

Fortified cereal and nutritional yeasts

Fortified cereals and foods with high nutritional yeast value contain vitamin B12, yet another vitamin needed to boost and maintain energy. They are easily paired with milk, eggs, and meats, and together, all of them pack a punch in vitamin B12 content.

Eating properly is well and good, but sometimes our diets are not always enough to provide us with adequate energy. That’s where Vitable comes into play. If you find your nutritional intake insufficient in providing you with adequate energy, why not take up a multivitamin subscription with Vitable?

All you have to do is complete a short online quiz, and you’ll get a vitamin combination personalised to your unique health needs (from over 1.2 million possible combinations) — how amazing is that!? Get home-compostable daily packs containing your vitamins delivered straight to your doorstep monthly, for fuss-free ease in getting your vitamin intake sorted.

Made from premium quality ingredients backed by science and proudly made in Australia, there’s no reason to say no to Vitable. Get your custom vitamin packs today so you can get the energy boost you need.

Learn more about the supplements we’ve mentioned above:

Iron | Ashwagandha | Magnesium | B complex | Acetyl L carnitine | Vitamin C | Vitamin B12

*Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and/or mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet.