Study snacks are essential to a good study session! Everyone feels like they need a quick snack to keep them going every now and then. However, it can be the case that when studying it is far too easy to just jump on your phone and order junk food. It is usually easy to get and easy to cook (if you have to cook at all).
However, eating the easiest food to get hold of is not always the best option for you and it can quite often lead to being very unproductive. This is because you aren’t getting the energy you need from your foods in order to help you maintain concentration on your work. Furthermore, you can quite often find yourself feeling worse, not looking your best and just feeling rubbish in general if you rely too much on junk food. Therefore, you need to have a selection of healthy snacks and meals that you can rely on to keep you brain and body in a healthy way during studying.
Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are a fantastic snack to feed on during studying, they can fit into most diets that people want to try or are thinking of trying during their studying period. They offer so many nutrients that can benefit both the mind and the body. What is even better is that nuts and seeds contain antioxidants that relieve stress because the antioxidants attack molecules that are unstable. Finally, the best thing is that they are easy to get hold of and the chances are that you will be able to get them at your university campus shop. Or include them as part of your meal deal at Tesco.
Berries
Put it this way, if you want to maintain all of that information in your head, you need to eat berries. Berries will massively help your memory. Unfortunately, berries aren’t as transportable as nuts as they need to be sealed, they also won’t keep as long. Therefore, you should most definitely consider purchasing yourself some plastic containers that you can reuse. This will keep your berries fresh and your brain full.
Dark chocolate
Now it’s not all the time that you will be encouraged to eat chocolate. However dark chocolate in the correct amounts can be very beneficial for you. Dark chocolate can improve blood flow to your brain and therefore improve your memory, focus and overall learning. Now if you’re like me, dark chocolate isn’t your favourite type of chocolate, you should definitely try the Bournville dark chocolate, it’s a real game changer.
Dark chocolate is one of the best study snacks if you just can’t shake your sweet tooth!
Fruit
I know we have already mentioned berries and this fall into this category, however fruit in general and any type of fruit is very beneficial to you when studying. In particular oranges and bananas, bananas can give you an energy burst and oranges will provide you with iron. However, do bear in mind that fruit if you’re like me doesn’t last long, I am very quickly hungry after eating fruit. Therefore, it is great to compliment your fruit with another snack during the day, in particular dark chocolate which can satisfy that sweet tooth.
Avocado, Eggs and Fish
All of the above are snack but we must not forget your meals during the day. Trying to get eggs, avocado and fish into your diet is very healthy and they keep you full for a long time. As they are a food that slowly releases energy, ensuring that you have plenty of time to study instead of rummaging round that fridge.
Foods to stay away from
Takeaways
There are certain foods you should try to stay away from when deciding your study snacks. Of course, your snacks will mostly depend on how long you have been studying already, what else you have eaten and also the time of day. Fro example, I know far too many people who would do an all-nighter in the library and end up ordering a MacDonald’s to keep them going. But in reality this will only slow you down! You should try and stay away from take-aways becoming a frequent study snack as not only will they slow you down but it is not healthy to make a habit of this.
Energy drinks
Energy drinks are just not going to help you despite what it might imply. They certainly give us a burst of energy, but at what price is what you should be asking yourself. Almost all of them have as much sugar than a pretty standard drink such as a coke, but with tonnes of chemicals and caffeine that will almost definitely cause you to crash eventually. Many of these drinks are also poorly regulated, which means they are not forced to declare how much caffeine or other substances are introduced, so you usually have no idea what it is you’re consuming. If you desperately feel like you need something to drink that’s going to keep you going then coffee is your best bet. But please don’t over do it! The worst thing is having the coffee shakes whilst trying to study!
Cheese
Cheese is another (unusual) food that you should stay away from whilst studying. It is a high-fat snack and the majority of them are also rich in sodium. Lactose is included in cheese which is where the problem starts. This can create digestive troubles in those who are normally not affected by most meals. High-calorie items will most likely slow you down, especially if they are part of a takeaway meal such as pizza. If cheese is your go to then try out a low-calorie alternative of it.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right study snacks can sometimes be a make or break for your study session. Try not to chose the foods that are going to slow you down or make you sleepy as you will just be wasting your time trying to study. Make sure to always have enough good food with you to keep you going and stay on top of your 3 meals a day. Nothing is more important that making sure you are eating the rgiht amount of food to look after yourself!
