It never really occurred to me until someone told me recently, but snacking on the right foods can really have an effect on those late-night study sessions. I tried it after someone told me this, and the right foods really do help!
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So let's say that you're planning an all-nighter for that final exam and realize you're starving. A lot of teens would get some cookies or that piece of cold pizza or maybe a donut. Instead, try this:
- Keep some cold fruit or cut-up vegetables chilled in the refrigerator. I've started making this a habit. I especially love washed cucumbers, celery and baby carrots, along with apples and bananas (not together). It's also not a bad idea to have a bagged salad in the refrigerator as well, if you're thekind who prefers salads. One of the best late-night snacks are fruits or vegetables (And the natural sugar in fruit might help give you some added energy when you're starting to lag).
- Speaking of fruits, a lot of people find that apples are one of the most convenient. They can stay chilled in the refrigerator, or be perfectly fine to eat out of a basket on the table. Or just keep it with you at your desk until it's snack time.
- If you have to have some kind of sweets other than fruit, get a sugar-free Jellow or pudding cup. They're not nearly as fattening and will give you that extra boost you need.
- Try to avoid high-salt foods. With a lot of students, Ramen noodles are popular, but these not only have a lot of fat, but way too much sodium. If the Ramen also has MSG, it might just keep you up a lot later than you want.
- Also stay away from products with lots of caffeine in them. I know, this is a bummer, because the first thing you want to do when you need to stay awake is drink a lot of coffee or Mt. Dew. But after you get that extra boost and are ready to sleep, you might not be able to. How much fun would it be to sleep through that exam that you studied so hard for, because you only fell asleep minutes before you were supposed to get up?
- Most starchy foods are a good choice when you need a late night study snack, so by all means, bring on the pasta or macaroni!
