15 Foods and Drinks That Naturally Boost Energy

When you need an energy boost, skip the soda and the sugary candies. They'll only lead you down the road to a sugar crash. These natural, health-boosting foods and drinks will help get you back to a focused (and productive!) state.

Consuming water is the easiest and most natural way to boost energy. It seems so simple, but most of us don't get enough. Dehydration can drain your energy, alter your mood, and slow your metabolism down. If you find plain water too boring, add lemon, lime, or cucumber for some extra flavor.

Known as the super greens, kale, spinach, chard, and watercress are loaded with vitamins A, C, E, and K, and are all low in calories and high in fiber. Leafy greens are also packed with magnesium, potassium, folate, and calcium, which all help brain function, maintain healthy bones, and manage blood pressure.

Add the super greens to your diet with these amazing, energy-packed recipes:

Farro-and-Kale Salad with Olives and Pine Nuts (pictured)
Baked Kale Chips
Arugula and Watercress Salad
Watercress, Avocado, and Walnut Salad

This cruciferous vegetable is high in vitamin C (1/2 cup gives you 80 percent of your recommended daily intake), fiber, iron, beta-carotene, and antioxidants. Also, our green friend contains chromium, which helps regulate blood sugar, keeping energy levels steady. To make sure you get all of those super benefits, only lightly cook broccoli (i.e. steam it for 5 minutes) or eat it raw.

Recipe: Broccoli Matchsticks and Kale Salad

On salads, baked into bread, or just on their own, walnuts are a true superfood. The amino acids found in this healthy snack help improve blood flow to muscles to combat any slugglish feelings. The nuts contain oleic acid, which can reduce depression, and are packed with filling and energizing fiber, omega-3s, copper, manganese, and vitamin E. The nuts may even give your brain a boost and help slow the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Try this Beet, Orange and Walnut Salad for lunch or theseSweet-and-Spicy Sesame Walnuts for quick and zesty snack.

The blue color of this tasty fruit is caused by a group of flavonoids called anthocyanins, which are high-powered antioxidants. Blueberries offer disease-fighting phytochemicals, are super-high in vitamin C, and provide fiber, which helps regulate blood-sugar levels. Although they are delicious on their own, you can take blueberries to the next level with this Blueberry-Melon Salad With Thyme Syrup.

As the most common go-to solution for a quick pick-me-up, coffee sometimes gets a bum rap. But when consumed in moderation, coffee actually has some health benefits. A cup of joe has been shown to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, depression, Type 2 Diabetes, and jump-start the metabolism. But it is recommended that you keep your java habit limited to just three 5-ounce cups per day.

Dairy-free dark chocolate is the delicious sweet treat you need to break an energy rut. It gives you a slight boost, and its phenylethylamine encourages your brain to release endorphins and put you in a better mood. Chocolate also has flavonoids, which help fight off the not-so-good LDL cholesterol and increase the blood flow to your brain. That should help make you more alert.

Slurp them up! Low-fat and high in protein, six medium oysters contain 31 percent of your daily required intake of iron, 272 percent of your daily need for vitamin B12, and a whopping 509 percent of your daily need of zinc. If that's not enough, those bites are high in omega-3 fatty acids and can help maintain healthy brain function. And you may just need the energy boost all of those good-for-you vitamins and minerals provide since oysters are, ahem, an aphrodisiac.

Indulge in oyster goodness with these recipes:

Oysters on the Half Shell with Rosé Mignonette (pictured)
Oysters with Cucumber-Lemon Zest Mignonette

With a green that's this high in magnesium (half a cup has 78 mg) and folate, rich in calcium, and bursting with vitamins A and B, it's no wonder Popeye was able to stay so strong on his spinach diet. This leafy green helps prevent inflammation, can lower the risk of heart disease, and has more iron than any other green vegetable. And that iron is key to helping you keep your energy level high. Combine spinach with vitamin C-rich foods, like oranges and lemons, to more effectively absorb the iron.

Try this tasty, vitamin-filledCitrusy Spinach and Salmon Salad for a quick energy boost.

This plant-based food is a high-protein alternative to high-fat, high cholesterol meat. Beans have a low glycemic index, which helps stabilize the energy they provide. Kidney and black beans are high in magnesium (70mg and 120mg for every 1 cup, respectively). Red beans are particularly high in antioxidants and iron. Eating a serving can help keep sluggishness at bay.

Beans are a healthy addition to Minestrone Soup or Vegetable Hash. To spice things up try this legume-loving Habichuelas Coloradas Grandes (Island Red Beans) recipe.

Chi-Chi-Chi-Chia! The name may make you think of the plant-based pet you had in the 80s, but there's more to chia than just a catchy advertising tune. Those grass-producing seeds have actually been a healthy diet staple for people since the people of the Aztec civilization roamed the Earth, and for good reason. Chia seeds are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, manganese, phosphorus (for healthy teeth and bones!), and protein. All of these wonderful traits help stabilize blood sugar, keep energy levels high, fill you up, and may even reduce cholesterol. If that's not enough, chia seeds contain skin-saving radicals that help your complexion glow year round.

New to chia seeds? Try sprinkling them over a cup of low-fat yogurt or mixing the seeds into your morning oatmeal for a fueled-up breakfast. Or discover their nutty flavor by stirring chia seeds into this incredible lentil dish.

While it does have caffeine, green tea boosts your energy without the jitters that can come after consuming other more highly caffeinated beverages. The aromatic drink is loaded with an amino acid called L-theanine, and it offers a long list of health benefits. It may even lower your risk of heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.

Just a handful of these delicious nuts can fill you up and give you the energy boost you need. They're high in protein, magnesium, and fiber. Keep a stash of these affordable nuts in your purse so you can grab a few when you need them. Don't let their fat content scare you away. Almonds have mostly monounsaturated fats — the good kind — which contribute to a reduction in cholesterol.

Cucumbers are mostly enzyme-filled water (about 96 percent) and contain vitamins A, B and C, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. All of this nutritional love can give you a quick pick-me-up without overloading the calories. Plus, cucumbers are great for the complexion because of their silica content, which boosts skin's moisture and elasticity.

Need cucumber-inspiration? Try these healthy recipes:

Sesame-Cucumber Salad (pictured)
Clean Breeze Smoothie
Cucumber-Pomegranate Salad