Do you ever find yourself hungry in between classes? Do you ever feel hungry during class? Getting through a days worth of classes is no joke and it takes a lot of energy to make it through. It’s not easy being a college student, but luckily, there are ways to keep yourself focused, brain awake, and stomach satisfied.
- Keep sugars to a minimum: Most of us can admit that sugar is awesome; it tastes good and sugary foods often feel good on a rough day. Sugars are notorious for giving a quick boost of energy too, but once that burst of energy fades away, we are left feeling extra tired and worn out. For this reason, it may be good to avoid things like energy drinks, coffee drinks with sweeteners, or anything high in sugar. Instead, replace high sugar foods with things that provide natural sugars or low sugar. These include things like bananas, blueberries, and even apples!
- Variety is key: Mixing things up and providing yourself with a variety of snacks for the day will make it more bearable to wait until your next meal. No one wants to eat the same snack throughout an entire day. One way to tackle this is to pair foods together. For example, if you like carrots, try also packing hummus or ranch to go with them. Another tactic is to pack foods of different “temperatures”. If you are packing yogurt (cold), also pack a granola bar (neutral temperature). Changing it up throughout the day keeps you from getting bored and provides you with a variety of nutrients to keep you going.
- Portion out Snacks: It is easy to want to pack too many snacks or even to accidentally pack too little. Remember that a snack is a small portion size and is aimed at giving you just enough energy to make it until lunchtime or through class. Using things like snack-sized baggies can help control portion sizes. Smaller baggies also allow you to pack a variety of snacks because you can fit multiple bags if they are smaller in a lunchbox. (Example: Celery in one bag, fruit in its own bag, crackers in another).
Pay attention to Nutrients: It is important to think about other components of a snack besides sugars. What about protein or fiber? An easy way to accomplish this is to look at a simple food group diagram and to choose one snack per category (protein, fiber, dairy).
Destenee M.