If you have difficulty making it through your day without a long nap or coffee break, your diet may need tweaking. Other factors that contribute to healthy energy levels include sufficient nightly sleep, managing stress, avoiding restrictive diets and seeking treatment for illnesses, such as thyroid disease and depression. Eating at appropriate time intervals and staying well hydrated are also important. For best results, seek guidance from your doctor or dietitian before making significant dietary changes.
Fruits and Vegetables
Glucose, your body's primary food-derived energy source, is present in all carbohydrate-containing foods, including fruits and vegetables. Unlike candy and other processed snack foods, however, fruits and vegetables supply rich amounts of nutrients and fiber. Emphasizing nutrient-dense foods in your diet is important for sustaining high energy levels, according dietitian Dina Aronson. In her article published in "Today's Dietitian" in April 2009, she suggests eating at least two vegetables and fruits with each meal. Choose whole, fresh, colorful varieties, such as berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens and bell peppers, which tend to provide more nutritional benefits and have a more positive impact on your blood sugar and energy levels than sweetened fruits and juices.
Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as whole wheat, barley, brown rice and popcorn, are grains that have not been stripped of nutrients and fiber during food processing. As a result, they digest more efficiently and provide more nutritional benefits than refined grains, such as white flour. Children and adolescents who start each day with a balanced breakfast, inclusive of whole grains, are more likely to concentrate well, be creative, exercise and remain alert than children who do not, according to MayoClinic.com. Try starting your days with a bowl of whole grain cereal or old-fashioned oatmeal served with fruit and low-fat milk. Incorporating whole grain foods into other meals may provide similar benefits. Try swapping white bread out for 100 percent whole grain bread when preparing sandwiches and choosing whole grain spaghetti over enriched. Air-popped popcorn provides an energizing whole grain snack alternative to potato chips and pretzels.
Lean Protein-Rich Foods
Protein provides amino acids -- the building blocks of lean tissue that also play an important role in brain function. Maintaining balance in your diet is important for boosted energy, according to Aronson. Since high-fat protein sources, such as red meat and high-fat cheese, are high in saturated fat, choose leaner options most often. Try pairing fruit with low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, or whole grain crackers with lean turkey slices or tuna salad. Other lean protein sources include skinless white meat poultry, legumes, tofu, extra-lean beef and fish.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds provide valuable protein, fiber and healthy fats. Fats provide fuel for low to moderate-intensity exercise, according to the American Dietetic Association, and restricting fat too severely can harm athletic performance. Incorporating healthy fats into your meals and snacks may also help keep you satisfied longer and feeling less deprived. For a portable snack, prepare a homemade trail mix made with peanuts or almonds, sesame seeds and unsweetened dried fruit. Adding flaxseed to smoothies and yogurt increases your fiber intake as well, which is important for healthy digestion, nutrient absorption and energy levels. For heightened benefits, replace saturated fat sources, such as butter and margarine, with peanut or almond butter in recipes and as a sandwich or toast topping.
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