Every get hungry thru the day and wonder “what should I eat to give me some energy?” There is now a list of certain foods that will give you plenty of energy and then there are foods that will make you yawn.

According to the HUFFINGTON POST, there are 5 foods that will perk you up and then there are 5 foods that will make you sleepy. Some of these foods will surprise you on what list they show up on. Let’s start with the energy foods.

The first one is pictured above, bananas. According to the expert, who is a plant=based dietician, this fruit has natural sugar that is easy to digest.

Second on the list is black beans. Not only does it have iron, which gets the blood going, but it also has plenty of fiber, protein and carbs.

Another good food to eat to keep your energy is eggs. As long as you prepare them healthy, and throw them in with some veggies, you should be good for the day.

Here is a food that may surprise you, and it really isn’t a food. It’s water. If you continuously drink water all day, the fatigue will not set in.

Lastly, pistachios are a great food to keep up your energy. According to one of the experts in the article:

“They’re a complete plant protein and offer 6 grams of protein per quarter-cup serving,” Gorin said. “This means that they help fuel your body with essential amino acids. Plus, pistachios also provide fiber and better-for-you unsaturated fats. This trio of protein, fiber and fat helps keep you fuller for longer and provides sustained energy.” 

Now on to the foods that drain your energy. First, any energy drink is a bad idea. Especially if you decide to partake in one later in the day. It will cause you not to sleep at night. Also, consuming to many at one time will cause a hard crash.

One of my favorite foods is steak. It may have plenty of protein, but is there such a thing as too much? Yes! According to the article:

Since the body can only utilize 25 grams of protein in one sitting, after eating a steak your body has to go into overdrive digesting and metabolizing this extra protein. For these reasons, your energy will be drained and you’ll likely feel sluggish and overly full.”

If you thought a fruit smoothie was good to give you energy, think again. The wrong amount of ingredients in one of those will cause your blood sugar to shoot up quickly. And what goes up, must come down. That will cause you to feel tired.

A low calorie frozen meal will help with watching the waist line. But with the amount of salt in one of those meals, you will not feel good at all after eating one. Especially later in the day.

Finally, a no brainer is candy. It gives an instant boost for a few minutes. But it does not give you that long lasting good feeling.

Whether you are working from home, or working in the office, hopefully this list will allow you to be more productive during the day. Or it will cause you to take a nap on the job.