If you were to break into the star chamber deep in the bowels of the administration in which exam schedules are decided, it is 95% certain that you would discover that there are more exams on the last two days of the final period than any other. The marathon study sessions at Second Cup, the hours of trawling for a carrel on the fifth floor of McLennan, the futility of trying to read your history textbook curled up on your sofa at home—all these continue unabated.
At this point in Purgatory, you may have started to think about sustenance for the journey. (Caffeine doesn’t count.) Studying—at least effective studying—uses a lot more energy than you might think, and a blood sugar crash is the last thing you need with your stats final looming and a paper to write. This is also the time of year when many of us—stressed, crowded together, and eating poorly and/or sporadically—get sick. The right snacks won’t guarantee you an A or an immunity to the latest cold flying around campus, but, along with a proper amount of rest, they can certainly help you stay as healthy and productive as possible.
Here are a few ideas for snacks you can bring to school so you don’t have to rely on the cafeteria, or Snax, or whatever department is having a bakesale.
- A classic snack for hikers is fruit and nuts, often in the form of GORP (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts). Sweet fruit provides an almost-instant pick-me-up, while the protein in the nuts gives longer-term energy. Don’t get stuck with raisins and peanuts—try figs and almonds, or walnuts and dried apricots, or dried bananas and pecans, or dried apple and cashews!
- Hummus with carrots or crackers (or both) is always an excellent choice. It is also a very noisy snack, especially the carrots, so share with your neighbours or risk some severe glares.
- If you’re tired of hummus, try some roasted chickpeas: toss 2 C of cooked chickpeas with about a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt, and a couple of teaspoons of garam masala or curry powder. Roast them at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, until they are crunchy and brown.
- If you’re studying at home, popcorn can be a wonderful snack, especially if you make it on the stove and toss in some thyme and some Parmesan with the butter. Just make sure you don’t give in to the urge to watch a movie instead of read your lecture notes!
- The markets are full of wonderful apples right now—sliced up with a smear of nut butter, they are marvelous indeed. Russets are my favourite at the moment. Other good vehicles for nut butter include bananas and celery sticks.
- If you need an evening off, you could always bake some oatmeal raisin cookies or some granola bars, both eminently portable and (in moderation) healthy.
- If a full-scale baking evening isn’t in the cards, take some of the apples you have leftover from No. 5 and slice them up. Soak them in water or apple juice for about 10 minutes, then put them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, sprinkle them with cinnamon, and bake them at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes.
- Sometimes, nothing but chocolate will do. Try slicing medjool dates in half, filling them with almond butter, and then topping it off with a small piece of good chocolate.
- Hard boiled eggs are a nice thing to tuck in your bag for an emergency snack. I like to draw faces on mine, preferably with flamboyant mustaches, but this may make you feel odd when the time comes to eat them.
- Perhaps I’m alone on this one, but don’t overlook pickles. Sauerkraut will do in a pinch.
Good luck with finals, and have a well-earned rest after the 19th!