"Energy food" gets used loosely to mean almost anything sweet. What actually matters is how fast a food releases its sugar and how long it keeps you going after. Here are seven that do the job in different ways.
1. Dates
Piarom dates and other date varieties are mostly natural sugar — glucose and fructose that the body can use almost immediately. Because they also carry fibre, the release is a little slower than plain sugar, which is why a couple of dates before a workout tends to hold better than a sports drink alone.
2. Oats
Oats break down slowly, so a bowl in the morning spreads energy release over a few hours instead of spiking and dropping. Add fruit or a spoon of honey if plain oats feel too bland to eat consistently.
3. Bananas
A ripe banana gives fast sugar similar to dates, plus potassium, which is why it's a common pre- or mid-run snack. A firmer, less-ripe banana releases its sugar a bit slower if you want something that lasts longer.
4. Almonds and walnuts
Nuts are slower-burning than fruit — the fat and protein content means the energy they provide stretches out over a longer window. A small handful mid-afternoon works better than a sugary snack for avoiding a crash an hour later.
5. Eggs
Protein doesn't spike energy the way sugar does, but it keeps you from running low again quickly. Eggs at breakfast are one of the more reliable ways to avoid needing a second breakfast by 10am.
6. Wholegrain bread
Wholegrain releases its carbohydrate more slowly than white bread because the fibre in the grain is still intact. A sandwich built on it lasts through a longer stretch of work than the same filling on white bread.
7. Dark chocolate
In small amounts, dark chocolate gives a quick lift from its sugar content along with a little caffeine. It's a smaller, more concentrated hit than the other six on this list — useful in small quantities, not as a meal replacement.
None of these need to be eaten alone. A practical combination — a few dates with a small handful of almonds, say — gives you the fast hit and the slow follow-through in one snack, which is usually more useful than picking just one food and hoping it lasts the whole afternoon. More ideas along these lines are in our healthy eating section.