Foods for Instant Energy

Almonds
Almonds are rich with the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps reduce muscle damage and help fight off age related diseases. Almonds all come with healthy doses of important minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium.

Bananas
The classic banana is full of carbohydrates and is easy to digest. Bananas are rich in potassium - an important mineral that helps to keep blood pressure low.

Chocolate
As with red wine, chocolate contains the same phytochemicals which are known to fight heart disease. When researchers studied the antioxidant capacity of various foods, they discovered chocolate beat out other powerhouses like strawberries and tea. Dark chocolate is the best since it contains higher doses of phytochemicals than milk chocolate; however white chocolate, on the other hand, doesn't contain any.

Clams
Clams are an excellent source of low-fat protein; each 3-ounce serving of clams contains 24 milligrams of iron, that's enough to last you for two entire days.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great source of iron and is high in muscle-fueling carbohydrates. It is perfect for working out and perfect for long busy days because it provides a slow release of carbohydrates into your blood stream.

Oranges
Oranges are an excellent source of carbohydrates. They are packed with vitamin C. The powerful antioxidant may help your muscles recover faster after exercising and will keep your immune system running strong - preventing sickness.

Salmon
Salmon and a variety of other types of fish come loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, important oils that keep your immune system running strong. The fatty acids found in Salmon may also boost blood flow, which could improve your exercise performance.

Soy
Soy offers tremendous health benefits when incorporated into your diet. It's like a super food - it is an inexpensive, high quality, vitamin and mineral-rich plant protein with a lot of soluble fiber, plant based omega-3 fatty acids, and it offers a wealth of disease fighting phytonutrients. Soy is the richest known dietary source of powerful health promoting phytoestrogens. You should eat at least 15 grams of soy protein (30 to 50 isoflavones; not from isoflavone-fortified products) a day and divide your total daily soy intake into two separate meals or snacks. According to a study in nutrition and cancer, people who regularly consume as little as one and a half servings of soy milk daily enjoy better cancer protection than those who occasionally consume soy products. Soy should be used daily, you can use it either as soy milk with your cereal or oatmeal or as soy protein powder in a fruit smoothie or as a snack of simply soy nuts. Studies suggest that two separate servings of soy foods per day, in separate meals, works best.