Energy Foods to Kick-Start Your Morning

Photo by http://www.number24.co.th

It’s always around mid-winter that a lack of motivation catches up with us. Without that summer fire to keep us going, we fall into a cycle of work, sleep and repeat. I’ve learned to pick up from cues from my body to stoke that inner fire and find motivation where I can during the colder months. Food is one simple way to bring back our zest for life that the dark days and cold has drained us of. I’ve found the importance in colourful, nourishing foods that restore my glow and get me out of our winter robot rituals.

Mean greens

Kale, spinach, silver beet, broccoli – collards, collards, collards! Of course, brimming with benefits like magnesium, vitamin C and iron, we can easily add more green into our meals. In winter we just want something quick, easy and delicious, soups are a great choice and can be blended to hide greens from kids too, well actually you can never hide that green!

Avocado

Avocado is my go-to for breakfast. I can’t get enough! And it seems the rest of Australia can’t either. The humble avo is perfect on its own, sprinkled with some lemon and dukkah it’s the perfect winter pick-me-up spread on whole grain toast. Avocados can help to lower your blood pressure with its healthy fats, and makes a surprisingly delicious butter substitute in cakes and muffins too! That creamy, light texture makes your baking light and delicious with next to no taste difference, and without those extra calories, plus it goes perfectly with our Lemon & Herb Dukkah too.

Green Tea/Matcha

Matcha seems to be the new dubbed super food popping up in cafes all across Melbourne where I am. Its effects seem to do wonders. It powers my mental focus and gets me over the famous 3pm slump.

Blueberries

My favourite berries – and they come frozen, so they are available in winter! Their size seems to pack a punch, loaded with antioxidants and enrich our bodies with magnesium, vitamins A, C and E, and potassium, plus pair excellently with your morning muesli.

Dark Chocolate & Cacao

An excuse to eat more chocolate, hooray! Cacao is an ancient superfood originating in South America and I’ve found it’s perfect to satisfy that niggling sweet-tooth. But what can this superfood do? A cup of hot cacao diminishes your desire to nibble and snack (or your plan to beeline for the biscuit table) and is excellent as an energy booster too; rich in magnesium and antioxidants (three times as much as green tea) and is said to lower heart disease risks through oxidation and regulation of blood pressure – this can also include our Dark Choc Rice Cakes! Now someone pass me the pack!

Ginger & Garlic

The often neglected herbs that find their way to the back of our pantry, but these two have much-needed health boosters especially in winter. Ginger is beautifully warming in food or as a tea and garlic deserves a special mention being a superstar battle for the common cold and flu. So rescue your garlic and ginger from their dark den and put them in tea, soups, and even smoothies (maybe leave out the garlic). Spice up your life and your winter with these hard-hitting energy boosters, keep us posted with your favourite energy foods! Use the hashtag #tableofplenty on Facebook and Instagram and post your winter lifters!

Probiotics

Keep your immunity boosted, our new Probiotic Kefir has more than 45 billion live active cultures and 10 authentic strains. When you’re feeling a bit under the weather or you know you’ve been eating poorly, Kefir is a great remedy to replenish your gut bacteria and keep your body healthy and happy.