Best Meal For Energy

Foods That Give You Energy

The best foods to eat when you are low on energy are those that contain carbohydrates and protein. The less processed the better when it comes to eating anything, especially when trying to be healthier.

Some of the best preworkout meals I've had contained bananas, nuts of some kind, and a caffeinated beverage. Just beware of energy drinks as long-term use has been linked to irregular heartbeats and all sorts of stuff you don't want to deal with it.

Also, pay attention to the amount of caffeine per serving as often times there are multiple servings in a can or bottle. While the number differs depending on which doctor you ask, most agree that around 400mg of caffeine per day is a safe amount to consume.

To put this in perspective, this equates to one and a third can of Bang!

Which meals should I make?

Here are some of the meals I eat fairly regularly when I am low on energy or have an important deadline to meet.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwhich

Everybody loves the classic PB&J but an even better peanut butter-based sandwich is made with bananas. The meal is protein-packed and contains plenty of carbohydrates from the bread.

The ingredients are very simple, in fact, I'm willing to bet you a fresh banana that you have them in your kitchen right now.

• Smooth JIF Peanut Butter
• Chiquita Bananas - The brand really doesn't matter in my opinion, just make sure they aren't too ripe or the sandwich will be gross.
• Martin's Patao Bread - The brand and bread type matter here. Trust me, this is the only bread you will ever want after you taste.

To make this tasty energy-packed meal, follow the steps below.

1. Toast that delicious potato bread for a few minutes or until golden brown.
2. Chop your bananas up into thin slices.
3. With the bread still warm, spread your peanut butter over it with a butter knife. Don't use a fork. I tried that a few times and stab my bread pretty bad. Chop your bananas up into thin slices.
4. Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy! If your heart can handle it, pair the PB & B sandwich with a low-carb monster.

Cinnamon Protein Banana Smoothie

I've tasted dozens of protein shakes in my day. Back in my combat sport days I was a huge fan of Muscle Tech's whey protein powder.

However, now that I'm a software engineer with a wife and kids, I no longer have the drive to suffer through gross beverages to build muscle. Instead, I opt for taste over protein content nowadays.

In general, the higher the protein content the nastier the drink will taste. I've found that anything above 20 grams is gross...except for a single brand...Pure Protein's 100% Whey Vanilla Cream Powder.

When making this smoothie, run down to your local Wal-Mart to pick this powder up. Here is a complete ingredient list.

• That delicious Vanilla Cream Pure Protein Powder
• JIF Smooth Peanut Butter - The chunky kind is gross in a smoothie.
• Bananas
• Cinanamon Toast Crunch Cinnamon Powder - Don't put a ton in there, just enough to get a little bit a flavor.
• A single scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt.

Pro Tip: Always add the dry ingredients to your smoothie first. This will prevent you from overfilling past the line indicator on your blender cup.

Protein Pancakes

Protein pancakes are a somewhat healthy spin on traditional pancakes. I say "somewhat" healthy because you will likely dump a little too much syrup on them.

For the protein powder, again I recommend Pure Protein's Vanilla Ice Cream Powder because it's both delicious and a neutral flavor. Whether you's making chocolate chip pancakes, pure chocolate ones, or anything else, a little vanilla flavor goes well.

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make the best, healthy-ish, energy-packed breakfast of your life. The portions below are for eight, four-inch pancakes.

• 2 Scoops of Vannila Cream Pure Protein Powder
• 1 Cup of Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle Mix
• 1/2 Cup of Almond Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1 tablespoon of oil

The recipe actually calls for a quarter cup of milk but since you are adding two scoops of protein powder, you'll need a little more liquid so you don't make pan-bricks.

I prefer to add all the wet ingredients in my Nutribullet blender, followed by the dry ones. Once added blend them all together until the mixture is smooth.

Here are the complete steps.

Now that your mixture is ready, follow these steps so you don't burn your pancakes...again.

1. Use an indoor grill and pre-heat it to 350 degrees fahrenheit. - You could use a regular skillet but I lack the confidence and skill to do so.
2. Once sufficiently heated, pour about 1/4 cup onto your non-stick grill. Try not to pour too much to ensure you can fit your pancake onto your spatula.
3. When you start seeing bubbles, its time to flip. If you don't see bubbles, cook it for about a minute and a half. Then flip it over, and let it set for another 60 seconds.

And there you have it. These are the best energy-packed meals I've made in recent memory. Most of these meals are relatively cheap to make.

In fact, at the time of writing, the most expensive item I've listed is the Pure Protein Vanilla Ice Cream powder and that's around $22 for 12 - 14 servings.

Remember, when seeking out carbohydrates for energy be sure you have a plan to burn them off at some point otherwise they just get stored as excess fat in your body. Balance your tasty meals with exercise to lead a long, healthy, and happy life.