If you have been feeling more tired than you should, your plate may have something to do with it. Dietitian Sadia Badiei, the nutrition expert behind the popular Pick Up Limes brand, has given some practical advice to 10Almonds on how food choices affect your energy from morning to night.
A quick note: diet is one piece of the fatigue puzzle, not the whole picture. Many things can cause chronic tiredness, and your doctor is the right person to rule out underlying causes.
Start With a Balanced Plate
Badiei’s starting point is balance. She recommends building your daily diet around these proportions:
- About 50% fruits and vegetables
- About 25% grains and starches
- About 25% proteins
- Modest amounts of healthy fats
- A small amount of well-chosen dairy substitutes
- A few targeted supplements to fill any gaps
Within that framework, she highlights what she calls “the foundational seven”, seven food types to hit every day:
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Other non-starchy vegetables of your choice
- Fruit of any kind
- Grains and starches (potatoes count here, right alongside rice)
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
- Fortified dairy alternatives
When You Eat Carbs Matters
Not all carbohydrates affect your energy the same way and timing makes a real difference.
During the day, Badiei recommends slow-release carbohydrates, meaning those with plenty of fiber. Research she cites found that fiber is linked to more sustained energy and better deep sleep. Think oats, brown rice, beans, and whole grain bread.
If you like a little snack closer to bedtime, she says that is actually fine, but reach for quicker-absorbing carbs instead. These help tryptophan reach the brain more efficiently, which supports falling asleep. So that small bowl of crackers or a piece of white bread before bed may not be the enemy after all.
Fats and Sleep
The type of fat you eat also plays a role in how well you rest. Saturated fat is linked to difficulty falling asleep, according to research Badiei cites. Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are associated with better sleep quality.
Nuts and seeds are a good source of omega-3s, and they double as plant-based sources of tryptophan. Badiei’s list of tryptophan-rich plant foods includes soy, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, beans, green vegetables, and mushrooms.
A Few Key Nutrients Worth Watching
Badiei highlights five micronutrients that matter most for energy: B-vitamins, iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
Iron deserves special attention, especially if you eat mostly plant-based foods. Animal products contain heme iron, which the body absorbs easily. Plant foods contain non-heme iron, which is harder for the body to absorb. That means you may need more of it than you think.
There is a workaround, though. Badiei points to a specific approach that can make non-heme iron significantly more available to the body, to the point where it becomes even more absorbable than heme iron. If iron levels are a concern for you, that is worth a conversation with your doctor.
The Takeaway
More energy does not always require a dramatic overhaul. Sometimes it comes down to getting more fiber at lunch, swapping in some nuts and seeds, or paying attention to what you eat before bed.
Small changes, made consistently, add up. And that is exactly the kind of advice worth keeping on the refrigerator.
