We all know that finals week is busy. Your schedule might be so crazy that it’s hard to find time to cook an actual meal. Don’t let your finals week ruin your healthy eating habits. Whether you’ve been holed up in the library for eight hours, or need something to stress-snack on, here are five healthy snack ideas to get you through finals:
Parfait
If you’re going to eat yogurt, you might as well go all out. To stay fuller longer, doctor it up. Put granola, honey, chia seeds, berries, cinnamon and any other healthy food you love. The extra love doesn’t only taste better, but it will also help you sneak in some extra nutrients.
Energy bites
Store bought or homemade, energy bites can give you that extra kick you need to get through that paper. Bear Naked makes some great granola bites that aren’t loaded with sugar. If you’d rather make your own, you can make different variations and add your own ingredients. Most energy bite recipes start with basic ingredients, like peanut butter, oatmeal and vanilla extract, and you can add your choice from there. Here’s a quick recipe to get you started.
Dark chocolate banana bread muffins
Is there any better food than chocolate? Luckily, there’s a way to eat it in a healthy way that also makes a great breakfast. Make these ahead of time and store some extras in your freezer for a quick go-to breakfast.
Fruit and veggies
If you’re guilty of mindless snacking and realize that you’ve eaten half a bag of chips while writing a paper, try replacing them with fruit and veggies. You don’t have to feel guilty about eating too many carrots or apple slices.
Rice cakes
Speaking of chips, if you still want something chip-like to satisfy that salty and crunch craving, swap it out for a bag of rice cakes. They’re easy to find at most grocery and convenience stores and come in multiple different flavors. They’re also great for keeping in your backpack and snacking between finals. You can buy the larger rice cakes and load them with peanut butter, chia seeds and fruit.
Finals week is hard, but eating healthy in the middle of exams shouldn’t have to be. Try a few of these options for some quick snacks you can feel good about.