Finals week is one of the most hectic and busiest times of the school year. Students are rushing from the library to their exam and back, in a constant routine. The last thing they're thinking about is what nutritious meal they're having for dinner. Stress eating during finals is very popular.
College students tend to eat quick and inexpensive take out options and food court junk food. Not to mention, an excessive amount of binge eating and snacking takes place. However, with just a few changes to your studying regime, you can help yourself by eating smarter and wiser during finals.
Plan Ahead
Plan your meals. You should know when you are going to eat during the day; plan your meals and stick to them. If you know you're going to be far from your dorm or apartment for a long period of time, plan ahead of time where you're gonna pick up lunch. Or even better, pack a lunch with you. Just because something seems ideal in the moment it might not be the best choice.
Eat Filling Meals
You should try to eat meals that will actually fill you up for a long period of time as opposed to eating a ton of snacks throughout your day. Protein rich foods tend to keep you full for longer; eggs, meat, fish, and potatoes. Certain carbohydrates like pastas and bread may be filling at first, but tend to cause hunger again soon after.
Eat Energy Boosting Foods
Since you're going to be studying for long periods of time, you're going to need all the energy you can get. Foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, yogurt, and oatmeal are some of examples of good brain foods. They will not only give you more energy for your exams, but they help brain function and concentration as well.
Portion Out
It might be tempting to eat large quantities of food and snacks while studying, but portioning out is more sufficient. Instead of bringing a whole bag or box of snacks to the library, portion it out. Bring some in a ziplock bag so you know when you've had enough. Otherwise it'll be 3 a.m and you'll realize that you finished the whole package of Oreos in 2 hours...
Snack Smart
It's okay to snack if you need to, but there's a way to do it. Bring snacks with you to the library like granola bars, fruit, or nuts so that you don't have to buy the unhealthier options that are available. Also plan to eat your snacks evenly between meals so that you can save them for when you're hungriest.
Hopefully these tips can help you tackle one of the most dreaded parts of college a little better and can help you eat healthier and smarter during finals week!