It is crucial that healthy eating is maintained during exam time. The stress and lack of spare time can often result in bad food choices such as fast food and energy drinks that can be detrimental to your studies as they can leave you feeling sluggish and tired. Following these simple steps can you achieve your maximum potential!
Don’t skip meals!
Keeping a steady supply of energy helps keep up your levels of concentration. Although being one of the smallest organs in your body – your brain uses 20% of your energy so it’s highly important to eat regularly.
After waking your body hasn’t had any food for several hours so breakfast is crucial as it gives your body the energy it needs to start the day.
Little planning and consideration are all it takes to help maintain healthy eating through the day.
While time is precious – choose healthy meals that are quick!
The key to healthy eating is balance, as there’s no single food that can provide you with all the essential nutrients.
During exam time this can often be overlooked as you may turn to fast foods or highly processed convenience foods with little or no nutritional value.
Here are some basic, easy meal plan ideas to get you through this busy period:
Breakfast Ideas:
- Always start with a glass of water and a small glass of fresh fruit juice.
- Our Oaty Fruit Rumbler
- Wholemeal toast topped with tinned tomatoes or beans.
- Wholegrain cereal with honey and frozen berries.
- Wholemeal toast with boiled or scrambled eggs followed by a piece of fruit.
- Porridge with chopped banana and honey.
Lunch Ideas:
- Quick butternut squash, carrot and sweet potato soup
- Jacket sweet potato with baked beans and cheese.
- Smashed avocado and cherry tomatoes on wholemeal toast.
- Vegetable stir fry with a protein source such as tofu or chicken.
Dinner ideas:
- Veggie omelette with a side salad and wholemeal bread.
- Wholemeal pasta with a hidden veg tomato sauce and cheese.
- Homemade pizza with mozzarella and veggies served with potato wedges.
Healthy Snacks:
- Honey and oat energy balls.
- Mixed nuts with blueberries, raspberries, dark chocolate chips.
- Grapes with apple chunks.
- Veggies such as peppers, cucumber, carrot or celery sticks paired with a dip such as hummus, cottage cheese topped with chilli flakes or homemade guacamole.
Stay hydrated, aim for at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. Dehydration can make you feel irritable and tired. Worst of all, it highly affects your concentration which can be detrimental at exam time. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
Try to reduce your consumption of caffeinated drinks eg. tea, coffee and of course energy drinks. Excess caffeine can upset our blood sugars which can affect your concentration levels, disrupt your sleep pattern and cause mood highs/lows.
Top tips:
- Frozen smoothie packs are affordable and nutritious!
- Tinned, dried and frozen veg all count towards your 5 a day.
- Turn off devices that will distract your studies.
- Adequate sleep is essential to keep your body functioning properly.
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It is crucial that healthy eating is maintained during exam time. The stress and lack of spare time can often result in bad food choices such as fast food and energy drinks that can be detrimental to your studies as they can leave you feeling sluggish and tired.
Following these simple steps can you achieve your maximum potential!
Don’t skip meals!
Keeping a steady supply of energy helps keep up your levels of concentration. Although being one of the smallest organs in your body- your brain uses 20% of your energy so it’s highly important to eat regularly.
After waking your body hasn’t had any food for several hours so breakfast is crucial as it gives your body the energy it needs to start the day.
Little planning and consideration are all it takes to help maintain healthy eating through the day.
While time is precious- choose healthy meals that are quick!
The key to healthy eating is balance, as there’s no single food that can provide you with all the essential nutrients.
During exam time this can often be overlooked as you may turn to fast foods or highly processed convenience foods with little or no nutritional value.
Here are some basic, easy meal plan ideas to get you through this busy period:
Breakfast Ideas:
Always start with a glass of water and a small glass of fresh fruit juice.
–Our Oaty Fruit Rumbler
-Wholemeal toast topped with tinned tomatoes or beans.
-Wholegrain cereal with honey and frozen berries.
-Wholemeal toast with boiled or scrambled eggs followed by a piece of fruit.
-Porridge with chopped banana and honey.
Lunch Ideas:
–Quick butternut squash, carrot and sweet potato soup
-Jacket sweet potato with baked beans and cheese.
-Smashed avocado and cherry tomatoes on wholemeal toast.
-Vegetable stir fry with a protein source such as tofu or chicken.
Dinner ideas:
-Veggie omelette with a side salad and wholemeal bread.
–Wholemeal pasta with a hidden veg tomato sauce and cheese.
-Homemade pizza with mozzarella and veggies served with potato wedges.
Healthy Snacks:
–Honey and oat energy balls.
-Mixed nuts with blueberries, raspberries, dark chocolate chips.
-Grapes with apple chunks.
-Veggies such as peppers, cucumber, carrot or celery sticks paired with a dip such as hummus, cottage cheese topped with chilli flakes or homemade guacamole.
Stay hydrated, aim for at least 8-10 glasses of water per day
Dehydration can make you feel irritable and tired. Worst of all, it highly affects your concentration which can be detrimental at exam time. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
Try to reduce your consumption of caffeinated drinks eg. tea, coffee and of course energy drinks. Excess caffeine can upset our blood sugars which can affect your concentration levels, disrupt your sleep pattern and cause mood highs/lows.
Top tips:
-Frozen smoothie packs are affordable and nutritious!
-Tinned, dried and frozen veg all count towards your 5 a day.
-Turn off devices that will distract your studies.
-Adequate sleep is essential to keep your body functioning properly.