Homemade Energy Boosting Snacks

When you need an energy boost after a tiring day, hours of fasting or after a strenuous workout, opt for quick, healthy and flavorful homemade energy snacks. Caffeine and many processed snacks can give you a quick energy boost, but they tend to put you on a quick high followed by a rapid energy drain. Besides, they cannot compete with natural energy boosting snacks in their nutrition.

Here are some recipes for natural homemade energy boosting snacks that help you sustain hours of energy and vitality.

• Nuts and Seeds- Munch a fistful of your favorite nuts and seeds when you are tired. Raw almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, etc. provide sustainable energy levels and plenty of vitamins and other nutrients like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, etc.

A milkshake with nuts is a filling and flavorful energy boosting snack. Beat 15-20 of your favorite nuts with a cup of sweetened milk to make a milkshake with a crunchy feel.

Remember that raw nuts and seeds are healthier than roasted, salted and flavored ones.

• Dry fruits - Dry fruits like raisins, dates, figs, dry apricots, etc. have high fructose and glucose contents which serve as ideal natural energy boosters. Dry fruits are also tasty and nourishing with stores of plenty of fiber, iron and vitamins. The fiber causes them to be digested slowly. So energy is released gradually for a long time. So you can get a sustained energy boost for hours after a dry fruit snack.

You can make a milk shake with your choice of dry fruits. You do not even have to add sweeteners like sugar or honey to the milkshake.

• Sprouted grainsand lentils - Sprouted grains like whole wheat and sprouted lentils like green gram make a crunchy wholesome energy boosting snack. Sprouting grains and lentils are a storehouse of energy as they are full of life and are preparing to germinate. They also provide plenty of proteins and fiber.

Soak your choice of grains and lentils in water for 24-48 hours in a warm place to let them sprout. Snack on raw sprouts or prepare a quick snack by adding pepper, salt, spices, juice from a freshly squeezed lime and cilantro or parsley to the sprouts.

• Yogurt - Yogurt is also an excellent energy boosting snack. It provides sugar in the form of lactose and plenty of calcium and proteins. Just a cup of plain or flavored yogurt is enough to give you to big energy boost.

If you do not like the fruity flavors, add some salt, a couple of mildly roasted jalapeno pepper slices, finely chopped parsley leaves and lime juice to a cup of plain yogurt to give it a spicy taste.

• Fresh fruits - Fresh oranges, bananas and apples make good energy boosting snacks. They are rich in fiber and vitamins and easy to digest. Snack on fresh fruits when you are tired. Alternatively, prepare a fresh fruit punch or a fruity milkshake to get a quick energy boost.