Perk up now! 5 power snacks that can help you recharge on an exhausting day

Kavita Devgan offers tips for refuelling when you’re feeling low and have a long way to go.

When you feel drained, your mind feels foggy, your feet drag… all you need is a pick-me-up, something to perk you up again. My top five picks:

Bananas are a healthy, potassium-packed source of energy, while apples help keep blood sugar levels stable. (iStock)

Banana

Thanks to the amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine that it contains, both precursors to “happy” neurotransmitters – serotonin and dopamine – a banana is a perfect stay-happy food. Plus it delivers the much-needed energy and potassium to dampen fatigue.

Crunchy apple

Speaking of comfort food, an apple pie scores hands down! But even in its natural crunchy form, it has a lot going for it. Apples are loaded with fructose, a simple sugar, but one that gets broken down slowly thanks to the hefty dose of fibre. This keeps the blood sugar levels stable and the mood buoyant.

Dried figs

An excellent source of potassium and fibre, figs are a good source of vitamin B6 too, which helps produce mood-boosting serotonin (the same mechanism as in a banana); plus they add satiety to the diet because of their high fibre content. A fig can keep you going for a long time in fact.

A cup of tea

Chocolate might be the world favourite but it is a bubbling pot of chai that works better for most of us. That’s because tea delivers amino acid theanine that relaxes one almost instantly.

Coconut water

This has lots of potassium that rehydrates, and also delivers magnesium and copper, both of which help cut fatigue instantly. Eat a bit of the malai (coconut cream) too, to get an added energy boost.

Kavita Devgan is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health columnist based in Delhi. She is the author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter