Did you know that two bars of dark chocolate could give you a caffeine fix equivalent to a cup of coffee? How about Seaweed Salad supporting your mood and boosting your energy level? Even Lipton tea offers an uplifting new tea in its lineup.
As we're still adjusting to the end of Daylight Savings Time, we needed a few more ways to keep our energy up considering the days are getting shorter. As our bodies head into auto-pilot as a way to power through an extra hour, we've compiled a list of 8 unconventional items to help you stay awake and energized during the day:
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1. Dark Chocolate
Growing up, I hated dark chocolate, I never understood the point of its existence. The bitterness was underwhelming and my first memories of it led me to believe that it was a defective version of its superior milk chocolate brethren. I've since grown accustomed to its bittersweet, milk-less flavor profile.
Health.com reminds us that Caffeine is found naturally in cocoa beans, thus you'll get a bit of stimulant from any chocolate, the darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine content. For example, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 31 milligrams, almost equivalent to the caffeine found in a can of coke.
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2. Seaweed Salad
Next time you go to a Japanese restaurant for lunch, you might want to opt for a seaweed salad over those deep-fried California rolls in order to avoid a food coma.
According to Prevention.com, seaweed is packed with iodine, a chemical that keeps your thyroid hormone levels in check, which in turn helps regulate your weight, energy level, and mood. If for some reason you can't get behind the seaweed, the fish should help you rack up those iodine points as well. But seriously, that seaweed salad tho.
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3. Cereal
I'm a huge cereal fan, so finding a cereal easy on the ingredients that actually tastes good, but has some energy benefits is something I'll flock to. Bear Naked has a pretty decent variety called Fit, and it comes in Almond Crisp and Autumn Blend flavors.
The Almond Crisp is the one you'll want for that good energy. Every serving will net you 6g of protein, fiber and whole grains, and all the sugar comes from stuff you'll feel slightly less shitty about (evaporated cane juice crystals, brown rice syrup).
If you're feeling froggy, you can grab a $71.32 stock of it on Amazon, enough to fill a tub and take a few laps in.
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4. Lipton Natural Energy Tea
Tea has caffeine and comes in many varieties with various health benefits, but in the arena of energy, we'll want to focus on Black Tea. Black tea, made with fermented tea leaves, has the highest caffeine content amidst Green, White, Ooolong and Pu-erh teas (WebMD has a great breakdown of all of them, but don't stay there too long... because that site is depressing).
New Lipton Natural Energy Tea is a great go-to option that contains just the right amount of caffeine for a boost to help you make the most out of every day. This bold new tea naturally contains 75 mg of caffeine and 20 mg of L-theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea. Having a cup right when that mid-morning lull hits can help ensure that you stay energized and focused.
If you’re the type that likes to get your kicks from natural sources, then Lipton Natural Energy Tea will give you that fix.
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5. Caffeinated Hot Sauce
It's the middle of the work week and you've been oggling the walls of your cubicle for a good majority of the day. You're looking for a boost but that sad egg salad you packed isn't going to cut it. Luckily, caffeinated hot sauce exists. Doublekick packs a sweet ginger flavor and 12 mg of caffeine per tsp.
Now pour that goodness on and wake up.
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6. Jelly Beans
Everyone's favorite jelly bean manufacturer, Jelly Belly, produces a line of Extreme Sports Beans. Available in Extreme Cherry, Watermelon and Pomegranate flavor, each serving of beans contains 50mg of caffeine, electrolytes, carbs (yes, JellyBelly is a carb, just like butter) and vitamins B & C.
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7. Bacon Maple-Flavored Waffles
I haven't been eating as many waffles for breakfast recently, mainly because after the 4th or 5th plate I'm usually making my preparations for a mid-morning coma. The small team operating under the moniker Wired Waffles produces a line of caffeinated-flavored waffles and an accompanying caffeinated maple syrup.
Here's the kicker, each Wired Waffle packs a whopping 200mg of caffeine (compare to 95mg in a normal cup coffee), a few different vitamins (A & B6) and an ingredient list that isn't too guilt-inducing.
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8. Energy Gummi Bears
As you might tell from the multiple gummy appearances on this list, I have an affinity for edibles that tend to stick between my teeth and make my dentists cringe. These Energy Gummi Bears contain guarana, vitamin B, vitamin C, taurine, and co-enzyme Q-10, which basically means a single baggy will resemble the energy of an entire energy drink.
Now all I've got to do is close my eyes and just pretend they're Sour Patch Kids.
