While some foods have short-term effects on metabolic rate, those that promote a strong blood cell count improve your long-term health as they speed up metabolism. If you're looking for an energy increase, raising your dietary level of protein, B vitamins and iron through foods will create an upward trend that puts you back into the healthy zone. Your body needs these elements to form red blood cells, which make oxygen and nutrients available to every part of your body, for efficient cellular metabolism.
Fish
Cod, orange roughy, halibut and salmon have about as much protein as beef, pork and chicken, with less of the detrimental saturated fat. Fish provide all the amino acids in complete protein and iron and B vitamins as well. All of these dietary attributes help to speed up your metabolism when you eat fish. Different types of salmon, for instance, provide up to 1 mg of iron, 22 g of protein, and content of eight B vitamins per 3-oz. serving.
Dairy Products
Milk, yogurt and cheese deliver significant animal protein, iron and B vitamins as well, with yogurt having the greatest concentration of these nutrients. The American Heart Association suggests choosing 1-percent or fat-free dairy products to reduce your saturated fat intake and promote cardiovascular efficiency. Among dairy products, unflavored fat-free varieties make the greatest contributions toward improving metabolic efficiency.
Legumes
Legumes that include black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, lentils, split peas and other dry peas and beans give you more iron than fish along with the highest protein content of all plant-based foods, at about 15 g of protein per 1 cooked cup. In addition to many B vitamins, legumes have significant dietary fiber, potassium and calcium, and just a trace of saturated fat. The American Diabetes Association calls their nutritional profile ideal, as it supports a swift metabolism without upsetting blood glucose levels.
Whole Grain Foods
Complement the incomplete protein of legumes with that of whole grains for superior protein nutrition and a larger effect on your metabolism. A serving of 1 cup of cooked brown rice, for example, will contribute about 5 g of protein to your daily total. Whole grain foods such cereals, breads and pastas made with whole wheat, rye, oats, rice or corn are good sources of iron and B vitamins. Many breakfast cereals are fortified to provide up to 100 percent daily values of iron and vitamin B-12.
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