Energy boosting drinks/snacks/food recommendations

[Have.A.Gait.Day]

Hopefully this isn't too off topic but I figured you're all hardworking students, you must have some tips and tricks you can share.
I've always struggled with energy and staying awake in classes. I've slept through too many lectures and certainly do not want to do that in grad school.
Mainly thinking of something I could drink/eat in the morning as breakfast possibly. I typically don't have time to have a proper meal in the morning and I think that's what leads to my crash during classes.

Key requirements:

• Must be dairy free
• Caffeine free ( Sadly can not handle everybody's go to of coffee/tea, I crash hard every time)

I don't exactly work out so i'm not too familiar with pre-workout but that was something I was considering. Any brand recommendations or is pre-workout a bad choice in general?
Meal replacements?
I am also considering smoothies, what are some good ingredients to include?

Thank you in advance for any advice or help you can offer. I appreciate you.

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[Kweenkza]

For me I’d say taking vitamins. when I started taking vitamin B and a brain booster one my energy has been so much better. There’s also a liquid multivitamin I take called nutraburst that is great but not sure if there’s a tiny bit of caffeine or not. Also coconut water, kombuchas, apple cider vinegar, or moringa are things so you could add smoothies and I’m sure they would help.
Look at herbaland gummies they have a free new things though I haven’t tried them.

 

[Have.A.Gait.Day]

For me I’d say taking vitamins. when I started taking vitamin B and a brain booster one my energy has been so much better. There’s also a liquid multivitamin I take called nutraburst that is great but not sure if there’s a tiny bit of caffeine or not. Also coconut water, kombuchas, apple cider vinegar, or moringa are things so you could add smoothies and I’m sure they would help.
Look at herbaland gummies they have a free new things though I haven’t tried them.

Thank you! I'll look into all of those right away!

 

[itssammi66]

Hopefully this isn't too off topic but I figured you're all hardworking students, you must have some tips and tricks you can share.
I've always struggled with energy and staying awake in classes. I've slept through too many lectures and certainly do not want to do that in grad school.
Mainly thinking of something I could drink/eat in the morning as breakfast possibly. I typically don't have time to have a proper meal in the morning and I think that's what leads to my crash during classes.

Key requirements:

• Must be dairy free
• Caffeine free ( Sadly can not handle everybody's go to of coffee/tea, I crash hard every time)

I don't exactly work out so i'm not too familiar with pre-workout but that was something I was considering. Any brand recommendations or is pre-workout a bad choice in general?
Meal replacements?
I am also considering smoothies, what are some good ingredients to include?

Thank you in advance for any advice or help you can offer. I appreciate you.

Hey! so, I definitely wouldn't recommend pre-workout. The problem with it is that supplement companies aren't required to put all of the ingredients on their label, so there can be potentially harmful ingredients. Also, most pre-workouts make you super jittery and then you crash.

You can improve your energy levels in so many different ways! First, look at your sleep. Are you getting quality sleep 8-10 hours per night? Second, definitely do not skip breakfast. You neeeeeeed to eat breakfast! So try preparing something the night before, that way its ready for you in the morning- overnight oatmeal is my favorite.

Each meal you eat throughout the day should be balanced- protein, carbs and fats. Your brain needs at least 100 g of carbs per day just to function so carbs are your friend! For each snack, try pairing protein and carbs. Snacks that I eat are: nuts with fruit, apple with peanut butter, protein bar, jerky and fruit, dairy-free yogurt(siggis is my fav) and seeds and fruit.

Smoothies are great as well! Just make sure you load in the right ingredients. I love doing smoothies with almond milk, banana, spinach, protein powder, peanut butter... but there are so many combos that you can do! I wouldn't recommend putting apple cider vinegar or kombucha into your smoothies, as those can taste very acidic and mess with your gut if your body isn't use to them.

I usually get an energy crash around the middle of the day- try going for a short walk or something! and make sure you're taking breaks, allowing yourself time to rest and eating enough food!

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[dobsonek]

I’d try a nootropic. They have a little bit of caffeine, but not as much as an energy drink or a soda. 99% of preworkouts contain a lot of caffeine. I’d try just getting up a few minutes earlier and preparing a balanced breakfast (one that includes a protein, carb, and fat source). My go-to lately has been an everything bagel, scrambled egg whites + 1 egg, and some type of fruit (either berries or an apple). I find myself not only full until lunchtime but also more focused/having more energy than I would if I 1) didn’t eat anything or 2) ate something quick and processed. I don’t drink coffee or tea either just because I’m not a fan of the taste.
As far as smoothies go, that’s something you can prepare the night before which is great if you know you’re going to be in a rush the next morning. Personally I do some type of green (either spinach or kale), 1/2 banana, mango, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 scoop greens powder, some type of seed (either chia, hemp, or flax), pb2 powder, and almond milk.

 

[Have.A.Gait.Day]

Thank you both for the detailed suggestions and tips! I think I'll try out doing smoothies first and alter it from there.

 

[kdubz7w7]

Hopefully this isn't too off topic but I figured you're all hardworking students, you must have some tips and tricks you can share.
I've always struggled with energy and staying awake in classes. I've slept through too many lectures and certainly do not want to do that in grad school.
Mainly thinking of something I could drink/eat in the morning as breakfast possibly. I typically don't have time to have a proper meal in the morning and I think that's what leads to my crash during classes.

Key requirements:

• Must be dairy free
• Caffeine free ( Sadly can not handle everybody's go to of coffee/tea, I crash hard every time)

I don't exactly work out so i'm not too familiar with pre-workout but that was something I was considering. Any brand recommendations or is pre-workout a bad choice in general?
Meal replacements?
I am also considering smoothies, what are some good ingredients to include?

Thank you in advance for any advice or help you can offer. I appreciate you.

I know this was said but I can't emphasize enough what a bad idea pre-workout is!
- Possibly try melatonin at night to make sure you are sleeping soundly.
- For breakfast, either get up earlier to make breakfast, or do some food prep so you have a grab & go in the morning. I make egg quiches a lot - I'm also dairy-free so I'll sautee up a bunch of veggies (no wrong answers here but zucchini, onions, bell peppers are all pretty mild and not too aggressive for the morning) & bake some eggs into them, maybe with a shredded potato crust, and eat that for the week.
- Smoothies are super easy and a great idea, plus you can blend veggies like spinach or kale into them and not even taste them.
- Also make sure you are drinking enough water!!! Being dehydrated is a great way to feel crashy and unfocused.

Good luck!

 

[hp1002]

For a more food based option, whole grain carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy so eating foods such as oatmeal or even a piece of Ezekiel bread toast would be good options!