Could you easily have a nap on your desk after lunch? Do you feel exhausted by the time you get home? Waking up early for school can make you tired. But so does eating badly. You might not be eating enough of the right foods to keep your energy levels up!
Here are 4 top tips to give you more energy and stay awake and alert all day!
(Advice inspired by the Food Standards Agency website.)
1. Don’t skip breakfast!
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It’s important not to skip it because your body hasn’t been fed for 8 hours! It’s starving so feed it! It has to keep you going till lunch so make sure it has carbohydrates which release energy slowly. Here are a few good balanced breakfasts:
• bowl of breakfast cereal (try to choose one that is high in fibre, but low in fat, sugar and salt) with semi-skimmed milk and a glass of fruit juice
• boiled egg, and toast and a banana
• porridge made with semi-skimmed milk and topped with fresh or dried fruit
• banana smoothie
2. Eat regularly
It’s important to keep your energy levels up throughout the day. If you skip meals then your energy levels will dip. You’ll feel hungry, grumpy, moody and annoyed. So don’t skip meals! Your body needs energy! Don’t starve it.
You should be having 3 meals a day. If you do get hungry in between or feel tired or sluggish, have some of these snacks:
• fruit – choose fresh, dried, frozen or canned
• flavoured yoghurt or milk
• pot of rice pudding or custard
• cereal bar
• fruit buns, fruit loaf or malt loaf
3. Stay hydrated
Sometimes you think you’re hungry but actually you’re thirsty. Make sure you drink 6 glasses of water a day as well as fruit juice, squash and smoothies. Avoid fizzy drinks because they give you a sugar rush but then give you a sugar downer which sucks! Also, have an active life, do more exercise. P
4. Eat food with lots of iron
Iron helps carry oxygen in our blood, around our body and keep us alive. So a lack of iron means your body will feel exhausted. Iron is especially important for girls because when you have your period every month, you will lose a lot of blood and iron.
Here are some of the foods which contain lots of iron:
• red meat such as beef and lamb
• breakfast cereals
• wholegrain bread
• green vegetables such as green cabbage, broccoli and dark salad leaves
• dried fruit such as apricots or raisins
• nuts and seeds such as cashews or almonds
• lentils, peas and beans, including baked beans