College is fun and all, but let’s be real, it can also be stressful and hectic. Only during these four years do we somehow manage to get by with five hours of sleep each night while maintaining our GPA, keeping up with friendships, and getting turnt like there’s no tomorrow. In order to get through a typical chaotic week, what should do? Eat. Yup, food can be comfort.
1. Oatmeal
No time for breakfast? Totally get it. It’s super hard to wake up for your 8 am, especially when you only get four hours of sleep the night before. Time is extra limited in the morning and if you’re like me, you’ll try to convince yourself that the extra 20 minutes of sleep will make a difference, but when in reality you are already sleep deprived either way.
What you need to get you through class at your full potential, is fuel and energy. An excellent source of this is oatmeal. There is a reason this whole-grain powerhouse has been a staple breakfast for generations.
Packed with many nutrients, this breakfast will turn your lethargic morning self, into an energy-filled superhero who’s (somewhat) more motivated and eager to learn. Unlike most sugar-filled cereal, oatmeal won’t cause your blood sugar to quickly rise and then drop, resulting in long-lasting energy. Along with an increase of energy, oatmeal is very filling. Eating a decent sized breakfast allows you to feel satisfied; you won’t lose focus in class daydreaming about what to fulfill your hunger with the second after you leave. We’ve all been there.
2. Apple
So it’s hardly even the afternoon but you already start to feel sleepy. Last night’s lack of sleep is now really starting to catch up with you. While you wish you could crawl back under the covers, you realize you have too many responsibilities, so that isn’t even an option.
This is when most of us tend to go for a cup of coffee, the famous “waker-upper.” While caffeine does have its benefits in this department, so do apples. What makes them even better is that you can get a splurge of sugar naturally. The benefits of this delicious fruit are endless.
3. Nuts
Now that you are awake and actively studying, it is only time before the munchies start to kick in. One of my favorite go-to snacks is nuts. Not only are they portable and delicious, but they are great for memory. Studies have shown that the antioxidants in walnuts, in particular, help boost cognitive enhancement and memory. So next time you’re cramming in a month’s worth of information for an exam, go nuts.
4. Banana with Chocolate
The day is starting to come to end, and something just didn’t go your way. Maybe it had to do with an upcoming assignment, issue with a friend, relationship drama, etc., but whatever it is, that sweet tooth of yours is already starting to go out of control. When you are sad, your body is searching for dopamine, which is why when things don’t go our way, we accidently end up eating a sleeve of Oreos in a sitting.
However, the impact of refined sugar only leaves us happy for a short period before our mood drops again. So treat yourself, but do it the right way. Bananas and dark chocolate contain dopamine in them, and since the sugar is natural your mood will stabilize and not suddenly drop. Studies have concluded that what you eat really does affect your mood. Get creative, and make your own chocolate-covered bananas (or use this as a valid excuse to eat straight out of a Justin’s Hazelnut Butter Container).
5. Cheese
It’s 1 am but you’re having a hard time falling asleep because of that cup of coffee you had a hour ago. We’ve all been there. Next time you find yourself unable to keep your eyes shut, grab a slice of cheese. Studies had found that eating cheese at a reasonable time before bed improves quality of sleep due to cheese’s abundance of the amino-acid, tryptophan.