Finals season: a time of increased studying, decreased sleep, and heightened stress. It’s our last chance to bring up our grades before the end of the semester, and our attention is SO focused on studying that we may sometimes forget to eat! Though a popular habit, skipping meals is HORRIBLE. Food is our fuel…we NEED it to actually do better in school!
So, as we near the end of April and the dreaded test-taking season approaches, I thought it’d be a good idea to give my fellow students a guide on the best foods to eat all through finals.
#1. Main Dish
First off: the main course. Meals are the most important part of your day. But, during finals, they’re also the most inconvenient part of your day. Having to cook up some pasta or even just leave the library to pick up a sandwich from the nearest Starbucks takes too much time away from the grind.
That’s why KidFresh entrees are the perfect finals week meal. KidFresh is a line of frozen kids’ meals started by father Matt Cohen who saw a need for delicious, healthy, easily prepared foods that parents could feed their kids. In fact, every KidFresh meal has low levels of sodium and fat, non-GMO ingredients and pureed veggies hidden in every meal, perfect to keep your mind sharp and focused.
With KidFresh you can shamelessly enjoy childhood favorites like mac and cheese and chicken nuggets without the guilt of feeling like you’re eating junk food. Even better, these entrees are comforting classics that will definitely cheer you up while you’re crying over unsolvable math problems or unending research papers. Most importantly though, all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes before heading to the library and voila! Lunch/dinner is served.
I tried three of their most popular main meals: Gluten Free White Mac n’ Cheese, Super Duper Chicken Nuggets, and Mighty Meaty Chicken Meatballs.
I tried the mac and cheese and chicken nuggets together before heading to a study group. Both were hot and ready in under 5 minutes with the help of my trusty microwave.
#SpoonTip: if you live in an apartment with an oven that always works too…just takes a little longer.
Both entrees have 12 grams of protein with hidden vegetables like carrots, cauliflower and onions. The mac and cheese was creamy, extra cheesy and flavorful with the sharpness of the white cheddar (not your basic Kraft mac). It tasted even better with the chicken nuggets, which were crunchy on the outside and meaty on the inside.
I tried the chicken meatballs another day with some frozen cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s (also amazing). They were moist, meaty, light, and super fresh unlike most frozen meatballs. Overall, I’d say you’d be missing out if you didn’t try KidFresh during finals week.
#2. Drink
Now onto drinks, your liquid fuel. During finals, it’s great to drink things that’ll boost your brain power. I recommend Weller’s CBD infused sparkling waters. Weller is a trendy snack company based in Boulder, Colorado that uses hemp extract and high-quality ingredients to create tasty, feel-good snacks and drinks. What’s CBD, you ask? It’s a cannabis compound that doesn’t get you high (there’s no THC) and has a wide range of medical benefits. In fact, it’s been used to help people with arthritis, anxiety, epilepsy, inflammation, and other disorders. I sampled their watermelon, black cherry, and tangerine flavors while studying in the library. They tasted like normal flavored sparkling water but had the added bonus of CBD’s relaxing effect. Not the same as being high, the CBD in the water made me feel relaxed and less stressed when I needed it the most. Forget La Croix, Weller is where it’s at.
#3. Snack
Onto snacks, arguably everyone’s favorite part of the day. For my finals season I loved snacking on Beanfields’ bean chips. They’re a healthy brainfood with 4 grams of protein and fiber, and you’ll never get bored of their rainbow of flavors: Jalapeno Lime, Himalayan Pink Salt, Cheddar Sour Cream, Spicy Queso, Nacho, and more.
I tried five of the most popular flavors, and they all blew me away. Each chip delivered on the flavor it promised and they were all crunchy and salty like any good chip should be. They were definitely very bean-forward, so if you’re not into beans these might not be your go-to snack. But, to be fair, I’ve never met someone who hates beans because—I mean—beans are pretty great.
So, now that you know the best things to eat for finals week, go buy them at your nearest supermarket and get to studying! Good luck!