Skip to content

5 (Energy-Boosting) Snacks Featuring Complex Carbs

|
February 25, 2020
Photo Credit: Love & Lemons

The mid-day energy slump is something we all face. Mine usually hits right around 3:30PM, when the end of the day seems like it might never arrive and lunch feels like it was so very long ago. The only thing that tends to get me over that late afternoon hump is a good snack.

I am sure you know the feeling. While there are probably plenty of things to grab in the office, a leftover cupcake from your colleague’s birthday celebration is not really going to give you the energy you need. Instead, it’s much wiser to reach for a snack that features some complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs instantly give you energy but rather than follow up with a crash like that cupcake would, they sustain you for hours because they’ve also got good things like fiber in them. These 5 snacks are the perfect choice when you need something healthy, filling, and satisfying.

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas from Love & Lemons

If you like your snack to be crunchy and salty, roasted chickpeas are the snack for you. All beans are complex carbs that also benefit from being naturally rich in protein, which gives this snack even more energy-boosting power. Have fun tossing the chickpeas in a range of different spices to make them your own.

Photo Credit: Flora & Vino

Sweet Potato Snack Bowl from Flora & Vino

Sweet potatoes are such an amazing complex carb because unlike most, they’re naturally sweet, so they’re a great choice if you’re craving a sweeter snack. Roast a couple over the weekend, mash the flesh, and tuck it away in the fridge. Then you can simply scoop out what you’d like, warm it up in the microwave, and drizzle it with nut butter, dried fruit, and nuts.

Hummus Avocado Toast from Self

A slice of toast might not seem like the most exciting snack but when you turn it into this feel-good avocado toast, it’s pretty easy to get on board. The key is to reach for 100% whole grain or whole wheat bread to reap the complex carb benefits. Swiping the toast with hummus before piling on the avocado adds a bit of protein.

Photo Credit: Well Plated

No-Baked Oatmeal Energy Balls from Well Plated by Erin

Oatmeal is a wonderful complex carb but the key is to opt for old-fashioned rolled oats or steal cut oats rather than instant. That’s because instant oats are processed and broken down so you digest them quicker and they won’t sustain you as long. Here rolled oats are the base for perfectly packable energy balls.

Easy Black Bean Dip from Eating Bird Food

Make a batch of this quick black bean dip at the start of the weekend and you can pack portions of it with whole grain crackers and raw vegetables for a complex carb and protein-rich snack. Just skip the drizzle of yogurt and sprinkle of cilantro if you’re making it ahead.

 

Learn How To Meal Prep & Batch Cook With Us! Discover a simple strategy for meal prep that will show you how to cook once, with just a few simple ingredients in your pantry, and have a variety of healthy, delicious meals for days. Click Here to Register!

Good food
brings
people together.
So do
good emails.

What our editors love right now

Good food brings people together.
So do good emails.

  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden