Snack attack: Food to fuel your brain during exams
The Junior and Leaving Cert exams are fast approaching, time to think about food options for students who need to refuel in a hurry, writes
Too much sugar will result in an energy drop after a while. Best to not have sugar or its substitutes, but slow-release sweetness in the form of dried fruits coupled with more slow-release energy sources such as oats and barley. Have something savoury with a touch of protein that will sustain longer than carbs. Alternate a savoury treat with a sweet one during breaks.
The received wisdom is that we all need to stop whatever book/screen work we do every 40 minutes. This break, even for 10 minutes, should be spent doing exercise.
Try a few jumps, ideally outside, or dancing, something to get the corpuscles racing and the head cleared.
Water should be drunk throughout study time. Dehydration causes exhaustion so aim to have 300ml to 500ml drink every 40-minute session. A lemon or cucumber slice or fresh mint leaves or a slice of turmeric or ginger will vary the flavour. Avoid sugary drinks.
Meat is heavy for late-night snacking, but eggs make a good protein source for a long night. For savoury treats, the emphasis needs to be on vegetables with some beans and lentils which have some protein. For our survey, we chose both savoury and sweet treats for motivation and comfort.
Fiid Italian sundried tomato & lentil ragu 400g €3.99
Labelled as a nourishing lunch bowl, Dublin based Shane Ryan has developed this plantbased range in a handy, relatively environmentfriendly pouch which includes 24% lentils, 8% each carrot and celery, mushroom, in a tomato base which is as good cold as hot. This tasty sauce could last two sessions and used on pasta, rice or noodles.
ABC English Market, Cork, from €2.60
A terrific range, mainly sugar free, some dairy free, to sustain studiers with wholesome treat slices from apricot and almond oaties, dates with oats (and very little else), oat and peanut butter based cashew cream slices and Ferrero balls made from coconut cream.
My Goodness selection €2-€3.50
A tempting selection tastes as good as it looks and is made from natural, wholesome ingredients and some sugar. A peanut butter power bar, vegan Snickers with date and caramel, lemon truffle and orange and chocolate truffle are more filling than expected, especially the smaller ones (€2). All are delicious with pure flavours and will give students a boost. At English market, Cork.
Broghies 75g €2.99
These large prawn cracker-like bowl shapes are made simply from popped wholewheat and salt. An interesting new product made in Kildare, they could be filled with salad, tuna, ham, hardboiled egg with mayo for a welcome crunchy change of texture for snacks or balanced meals. We bought in Lidl. Available on Tesco website too.
Dee’s Tex Mex style veg pot 400g €4.50
A beautifully fresh, natural taste, this was delicious cold too and could be eaten straight from the pot in a study location outside home if necessary. Good protein from the kidney beans in a tomato base thickened with sweet potato, flavouring is discreet with spices and sweet peppers. Could be enough for a second day.
Glenilen Farm yoghurt 500g €2.49
Yoghurt has protein and good bacteria to keep the gut balanced (it can easily go out of kilter with stress) and this size will sustain studiers for two or three days. The brand is top quality and this pot has a little sugar and natural strawberries. In a perfect world, students would eat natural yoghurt and add some fresh fruit.
Marks & Spencer Bombay Mix 200g €3.90
Something salty is often what we need after all the blood, sweat and tears, and this mix has peanuts, cashew and pistachio nuts with split chickpeas providing protein, salt at 1.13%, with sugars 3.7%. Interesting spices, particularly on chickpea flour noodles, add zest to the palate. Make sure there is water to hand.
Aldi Village Bakery wholemeal pittas 440g 39c
Six pitta breads make interesting receptacles for fillings. I prefer these toasted, and have devised a method of opening the pitta enough to insert a few slices of cheese, tomato, Ballymaloe chutney and gherkins, closing it up and putting upright, open end up in the toaster for a minute for an easy toastie. A short list of ingredients has wholemeal flour, water, yeast, salt. The preservative is calcium proprionate which I’d prefer not to see on a list. Can be frozen.
