When at university, the mere thought of exams can be exhausting - as deadlines, essays and group work fill your mind. This is such a crucial time to fuel your body with lots of goodness to deal with the stresses of the season, as well as to make sure you remain healthy; both body and mind.
When you’re running around doing X, Y and Z, or spending long hours in the library – how tempting is it to just pop over to a vending machine to buy a packet of crisps? If it’s what you’re craving, then go for it! Remember to be kind and don’t deprive yourself. Healthy eating is all about balance. However, if you really want to kick your brain into gear and keep your body in shape for working without feeling sluggish, then here is a list of snack ideas for you. I chose these as they take hardly any time to prepare and can be transportable / are easy to pack and take along (or something?). Some of the recipes can also be prepared in advance. So all you’ll have to do is just grab them any time of the day, enjoying them there and then, or bring with you to the library. Happy revising!
- Medjool Dates stuffed with Peanut Butter
- These are a favourite of mine. With a knife, simply remove the stone from the date, and fill it up with as much nut butter as you’d like.
- Rice Cakes topped with Hummus
- My favourite rice cakes are the flavoured ones as they don’t taste like cardboard. Paprika is the best! Smother them with hummus and you’re on to a winner.
- Roasted Nuts
- This makes nuts irresistible to eat. Especially when roasted with a little honey and sprinkle of salt. Turn the oven to 140oC, coat 400g of nuts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and toss nuts with 2 tablespoons of honey. Cook for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool before eating. If kept in an airtight jar they can last up to 3 weeks.
- Trail Mix
- In a bag, add some raisins, other dried fruit, salted popcorn, seeds, nuts, granola – basically whatever you fancy! It’s such an easy snack and delivers great taste every time.
- Toast
- Ok so toast isn’t usually perceived as the most exciting snack. However it is so filling and delicious! Whatever you’re feeling, either sweet or savoury, a slice of wholemeal toast is usually 99.99% of the time the right answer. When feeling something sweet, I’m a big fan of nut butter topped with slices of ripe bananas or strawberries, then sprinkled with a little cinnamon. If I’m feeling something savoury, I’ll either go for either smashed avocado or hummus, sprinkled with some chilli flakes.
- Granola Pot
- Fill a glass jar or Tupperware pot with some creamy Greek yoghurt, berries and granola. I could snack on this all-day, everyday.
