Every student’s favorite season is just around the corner — midterms. The weeks where we all hide in the library, binge on unhealthy food and sleep in unconventional places. Anything for that A, am I right? BUT, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your summer bod for this stressful time. The number of bags of chips you eat definitely does not correlate to how high your test score is going to be… or maybe it can.
There are some specific foods are known to boost concentration and neural activity, which sounds great for students who want their brains to be in tip-top shape. The only thing is, these foods are the dreaded “healthy foods.” Dun, dun, dun.
No one wants to eat a banana when they can opt for a cookie instead. Or chew on some almonds when there is a boba shop only a couple minutes away. Well, maybe some people would choose the healthy food, but we all know that most people stick to those tasty junk foods during finals week as a reward for cramming their brains with information.
Well, why not just take the two and combine them? Here are some ways you can make those nutritious foods more enjoyable.
Blueberries
Blueberries are known to help reduce short term memory loss, which would be extremely helpful when last-minute cramming for those finals. The nutrients from blueberries also help blood flow to the brain, increasing neural activity. Not to say that we won’t be stressed out during this time of year… but anything helps right?
If you’re a person who doesn’t like eating blueberries, like me, you would probably never put this berry into your shopping cart. However, when frozen, blueberries are very refreshing and addicting. Just popping them into a container and into the fridge will transform this small fruit into a snack that tastes exactly like frozen sorbet balls. It’s crazy, I know.
To get an even more satisfying snack, you could add greek yogurt to your blueberries before sticking them into the freezer. But don’t worry, prepackaged greek yogurt won’t decrease the quality of the healthy food. Combining these healthy foods will optimize your health benefits but will satisfy your taste buds at the same time!
Nuts
Nuts or legumes are foods that contain a large amount of fatty acids, which help fuel the brain. They also help you to recall information better because of the folic acid that are in nuts.
One way to make nuts seem more enjoyable is to pair them with chocolate. Chocolate makes everything taste better, right? Dark chocolate specifically improves memory and increases your alertness. Pairing the two is a match made in heaven. So, next time you’re looking in the candy aisle for some sweets, go for these instead. They will fill your sweet tooth craving and provide healthy benefits.
Spinach
Unless you’re Popeye, I don’t think you would turn to spinach for your snack in the library while studying, or as a snack in general. However, spinach has amazing health benefits that could help you ace that test. Like legumes, spinach is stuffed with folic acid, which will help memory recollection. This leafy green is also proven to reverse memory loss. Healthy foods like spinach are often neglected, but a little work can make these greens into something you’ll crave.
One popular snack for students to munch on is chips. I feel like chips are the most addicting; once you start, you can’t stop. One way to make the nutritious vegetable into an enjoyable snack is to make them taste like chips. Just put spinach into a bag with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and shake the bag until each leaf is thinly coated. Then place the leaves on a sheet pan and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and garlic powder. After popping them into the oven for 12 minutes, the spinach should be nice and crispy, like a chip!
Avocado
It’s a little unusual to see someone pull out an avocado as a snack, right? But maybe more people should! Because of the folate and vitamin K, eating avocados can improve your cognitive function, like memory and concentration.
For an on-the-go food before heading to your nearest library, make avocado toast! Combining whole grain bread with this nutritious fruit and topping it off with an egg will make for a healthy, yet satisfying snack. Cut an avocado in half and spread half of it (or both halves) onto a toasted piece of whole grain bread. Fry an egg sunny-side up and place it on top of the creamy avocado. Top it off with some salt and pepper, and you got yourself some avocado toast.
Matcha
When you think of buying a drink to help you study, you’re probably going to go for coffee. Yes, the caffeine may keep you up for a few more hours, but the crash afterward will make you feel groggier than before you started drinking the coffee. One alternative to this energy drink is green tea.
Matcha powder, the powder used to make green tea, is full of antioxidants, which are important for maintaining good health. The green powder also improves memory and concentration due to a specific amino acid that is in matcha. Green tea contains caffeine as well so it will have similar effects to coffee.
Headed to Starbucks for your daily dose of caffeine? Instead of ordering that White Chocolate Mocha, opt for the Iced Green Tea Latte. The caffeine will keep you up, but the health benefits of the green tea will be much more beneficial in the long run.
But, if you want to make one at home to take with you to the library, all you need is matcha powder, milk, honey, ice and water. Put 3 tbsps of matcha powder into a cup and pour in about three spoonfuls of boiling water. Add a spoon of honey and stir so that the powder and honey are almost completely dissolved. Fill the rest of the cup with milk and plop in some ice cubes.
Use these tips to choose your snacks during these crucial weeks! Munching on spinach chips or dark chocolate covered almonds will be much more beneficial than finishing that bag of salty potato chips. You don’t need to torture your taste buds just to eat some nutritious foods, so take the extra step and you’ll have a new food addiction.