These days, you don’t need to be an athlete to require the best high-energy snacks. Balancing family, work, and all of life’s other routines and surprises, requires a protein pick-me-up if you’re going to make it through the day, accomplishing everything you need to and feeling good while doing it.
Whether you need to be at your best for Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, or, you are looking to boost your energy as part of your workout routine, knowing the best high-energy snacks is going to get you a long way.
So many snacks can actually fill us up too much, making us feel sluggish or tired. We may not even notice the effects so dramatically, but the wrong snacks will fail to boost our energy in the way we need to get ourselves ready for that intensive training session, or, just a regular day, in some cases!
Snacking has a bad rap, doesn’t it? It conjures images of potato chips (at least it does for many of us!). Truthfully, snacking is a great way to sustain or boost energy levels throughout the day. This is especially true for anyone who manages blood sugar levels that quickly fluctuate. If you’re a marathon runner, weight lifter, or working parent, snacking is a must if you want to perform at your absolute best and reach your full potential. The best high-energy snacks will give you that extra boost you need to hit the ground running, and stay running!
We’ve compiled a list of the 7 best high-energy snacks for athletes and anyone else who needs that extra boost to stay productive and energetic throughout the day:
7 Best High-Energy Snacks
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Bananas
Bananas are available, easy, quick and a definite staple in healthy households. Bananas are loaded with potassium, magnesium, and the healthy natural sugars that your body needs to complete any endurance training. Bananas are easy on your stomach and make great on-the-go snacks any time of day.
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Energy Bars
Not all energy bars are created equal, but if you find the right one for your body and your tastebuds, energy bars can be a super convenient, travel-ready source for your workout protein pick-me-up, or between-meal energy snack. Energy bars made with simple ingredients and dried fruits and nuts are a must-have for on-the-go snacking.
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Nuts
Grabbing a handful of nuts or throwing a serving size package in your gym bag is a great way to get so many of the nutrients your body needs to thrive. Nuts are packed with protein, and they are full of the good fats your body actually needs. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can actually help lower unwanted cholesterol in your body, leaving your overall healthier and feeling stronger and more energetic.
Nuts also rank high on the list for protein pick-me-up snacks because of their diversity. For example, almonds have a lot of Vitamin E, which is great for your skin and bones. Brazil nuts give us selenium which is essential for thyroid function. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is a great contributor to a heart-healthy diet.
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Watermelon
Watermelon isn’t just for picnics and backyard barbecues anymore! While we can’t count it among high-protein snacks, it does happen to be a refreshingly hydrating snack any time of year that’s actually 90 percent water. It also contains electrolytes and useful sugars to keep you going strong throughout your work out and busy day! It’s also really easy on your stomach which makes it a no-brainer for rehydration snacking.
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Meat Snacks
Now we are getting to the heavy hitters of high-energy snacks. All-natural protein-packed snack sticks, such as Sweetwood’s FATTY Smoked Meat Sticks, are the perfect energy-boosting snack option. FATTY Smoked Meat Sticks are made with all-natural ingredients, which means there is no extra junk in them that your body doesn’t need or want. They are made in America, and they are a great source of lean protein. So, whether you are reaching for a FATTY Smoked Meat Stick to give you that much-needed boost before, during, or after or your workout – or you need something quick and delicious to make it from lunch to dinner, FATTY Smoked Meat Sticks are the perfect solution.
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Nut Butters
Historically, nut butters haven’t exactly been a great on-the-go snack. Now packaged in individual servings with easy rip-top pouches, nut butters are finally available for easy consumption. They are a great source of protein and provide energy to fuel your workout. Honestly, squeezing some almond butter onto a banana is one of the best high-protein all-natural healthy snacks.
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Dates
Dried or fresh, dates make great on-the-go energy snacks. They have a ton of fiber, magnesium, and potassium. Dates give us a texture and sweetness that we haven’t explored too much on this list, which is a great way to switch it up and keep your snacking interesting and varied. Just don’t forget to drink plenty of water so your body can process all those wonderful nutrients properly.
What’s your favorite protein pick-me-up? Make sure to pack some options in your bag, car, and cabinets so you can make healthy decisions all day, every day!
>> Shop Sweetwood.com now to stock up on high-protein, high-energy snacks.