Every year our friends at Children's National Hospital ask if we have any specific requests for food during the two days that we're broadcasting live from the hospital. My response is always the same. "Brain food". Chilli Amar and I actually discussed this a bit recently as she was asking what I meant by that, what kinds of food are considered "brain food". This is a perfect list. The foods on this list are mostly minimally processed and provide real nutrients to boost energy, like the healthy fats found in nut butter or the protein in yogurt or cottage cheese.
Next time you're feeling the afternoon slump, reach for one of these in lieu of a donut or cookie and see if it boosts your energy (and maybe even your mood) within the next 30 minutes.