Studying is hungry work, but choosing the wrong foods to satisfy this hunger can actually decrease your energy levels and sabotage your healthy diet. Chips, cookies and other snacks consisting of simple carbohydrates provide bursts of energy, but this energy quickly dissipates, so you experience crashes. Instead of binging on junk food, eat healthy, balanced, smart snacks, like the five suggested below, to ease your cravings, fuel your brain, and keep both your diet and your education on track.
Apple Slices or Celery and Peanut Butter
Apple slices or celery sticks paired with one to two tablespoons of peanut butter provide a good mix of carbohydrates, fat, and protein to keep you full and alert while you pursue your education. Celery sticks are lower in calories and sugar than apple slices, so if you need to munch constantly, these are the smarter choice. If, however, you are feeling sluggish and sleepy, opt for apple slices. They will give your blood sugar more of a boost.
When choosing a peanut butter, select a natural brand without added sugar or hydrogenated oils. Eating brands that have added sugars, like corn syrup or table sugar, may give you a sugar rush, but the energy boost will not last. Because the sugars in these peanut butters are simple sugars, your body processes them rapidly. This means a crash will quickly follow the initial sugar rush.