Eating for energy doesn't have to drain your bank account. If you shop carefully and look for bargains, you can find a variety of affordable, energy-boosting foods rich in protein or complex carbohydrates, with small to moderate amounts of fat. Sticking to the nutritional basics and omitting commercially processed foods will save you money and help you avoid foods high in refined sugar, flour and fat.
Eggs
One large egg provides 6g of protein and 4.75g of fat, giving you a compact source of energy along with essential nutrients like vitamin B12 and selenium. However, you may want to limit the number of eggs you eat each week to avoid raising your cholesterol. Egg yolks contain saturated fat, which can raise your low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, when consumed in high amounts, says the American Heart Association.
Oatmeal
A nutritional classic, this basic, inexpensive cereal offers carbohydrates and a generous helping of heart-healthy soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates in a bowl of oatmeal will keep you going through the morning, while the soluble fiber holds your blood sugar steady. For a fat-free protein boost, try stirring the white of one raw egg into your oatmeal as it's cooking.
Canned Tuna
Tuna is a simple, affordable and versatile protein. If you're watching your fat intake, choose tuna canned in water instead of oil. One cup of light tuna in water has 1.26g of fat, versus 12g of fat in the same serving of tuna in oil. Tuna is rich in iron -- 2.03mg per cup -- an essential mineral that your body needs for oxygen usage and energy production.
Peanut Butter
A jar of peanut butter can go a long way towards helping you keep up your energy. Fats are a calorie-dense source of fuel and are healthy when eaten in moderation. Two tablespoons of peanut butter have 16g of fat, mostly monounsaturated. Monounsaturated fat can lower your "bad" cholesterol and improve your cardiac health, according to the American Heart Association. Though natural, unhydrogenated peanut butter is more expensive, the benefits to your heart will be worth an extra dollar or two. The trans fats in hydrogenated vegetable oils can actually lower your "good" cholesterol, cautions the American Heart Association.
Dried Beans
Whether you like your beans red, white, black or navy, legumes are a tried-and-true source of inexpensive energy. Though dried beans are easy on your wallet, they're rich in protein, fiber and iron. If you don't have time to prepare dried beans from scratch, affordable canned beans or soups can give you the energizing benefits of legumes.
Bananas
A naturally portable snack food, bananas are high in potassium and magnesium, two minerals that are essential for healthy heart and nerve function. The carbohydrates in bananas take the form of starch. Because starches in bananas are absorbed more slowly than single sugars, a banana will give you energy without dramatic fluctuations in your blood sugar. A peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich combines the energy of the healthy fats in peanut butter with the complex carbohydrates and minerals in bananas.
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