Exams Are Important, But Eating Is Too

Written by: Esha Mavi, Kinesiology Student

Exam season is coming up, and we all know what that means. All-nighters, coffee, Redbull, and 99 cent noodles. We all engage in these borderline self-destructive behaviours because we put our studying before anything else. One of the biggest things I struggle with during exam season is eating healthy. All I want to do is sit at my desk and study the day away. At the time, eating seems like a secondary thought, almost as if it is a distraction that is taking away from the time I have to study. Not only is this a terrible habit to pick up, but it’s also just going to put you through more stress, distract you, and keep your mind from working to its full potential.

Anyone can take 2 minutes out of their day to make a pack of instant noodles and call it a meal. But is this really healthy for you? Are you gaining any nourishment? I’m sure you will not be surprised to find out that these instant meals are nothing but empty calories, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium. This is not what you want to be putting into your body when you need yourself to be functioning at your peak level. If you are not well, you are not going to do well on your exams.

There are thousands of super quick, easy, and healthy meals you can make during exam season that will provide you with the nourishment you need, taste really good, and will keep you full for a long time. Here, I have provided my favourite 5 meals I make during exam season (and often throughout the week) that are quick, nutritious, and tasty. You’ll likely have most of the ingredients sitting at home!

Avocado Toast

bread covered with avocado, tomato, onion, and seasoningsPhoto by Ryan Quintal on Unsplash

Avocado contains TONS of healthy fats! Healthy fats are important because they lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and inflammation. They help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Furthermore, they help reduce your blood pressure and prevent the clogging of arteries.

To boost up this recipe, you can add a fried egg on top (this is a good source of protein), add some spinach (this is a good source of iron), or swap out the bread for garlic bread (this just tastes a lot better).

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • Any type of bread
  • 1/2 tomato
  • 1/2 onion
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Shredded cheese

Steps

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Start by peeling and pitting your avocado
  • Mash your avocado and add salt and pepper to taste
  • Spread the mashed avocado on as many pieces of toast as you'd like
  • Cut up tomato and onion and add to bread
  • Sprinkle on some shredded cheese
  • Bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

Chocolate protein shake in a clear jar with a straw for drinkingPhoto by Antonio Janeski on Unsplash

Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and fibre. This is important for regulating fluid balance in your body’s cells, initiating muscle contractions and sensory nerve signals. The protein powder is an excellent way for getting your daily dose of protein. Protein is what the bulk of your organs, skin, muscle, and hormones are made of. It is important for cell maintenance repair and helps you strengthen and build muscle. You can switch up this recipe by switching out the Nutella for peanut butter or switching out the banana for any other fruit.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 ripe bananas
  • 1 cup milk of choice (works best almond, soy, or cashew milk)
  • 1 cup of ice
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 scoop of protein
  • 1 tbsp Nutella

Steps

  • This recipe only contains one step. Add all your ingredients to a blender and mix!

Omelette Bites

Omelette bites cooling on a cooling rackPhoto by Kaitlyn Chow on Unsplash

Egg whites are an excellent source of protein. Protein, as mentioned above, is essential to maintain a healthy body. Humans cannot survive without protein because it is prevalent in almost every bodily function. Switch up this recipe by adding in other vegetables and/or meat!

Ingredients

  • Egg whites
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper
  • Shredded cheese
  • Some kind of vegetable oil or spray

Steps

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Spray down a muffin sheet with vegetable oil spray
  • Add a few leaves of spinach and some chopped tomato to each muffin tin
  • Fill each tin about ¾ of the way up with egg whites
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Finish off by adding some shredded cheese
  • Bake in the oven for 6-10 minutes

Mini Pizzas

A sliced vegetable pizza on a platePhoto by sheri silver on Unsplash

Mini pizzas are a great way to enjoy your favourite food and make it healthy! I like to add spinach, green peppers, jalapenos, pineapples (yes, pineapples belong on pizza), and olives. Using fresh vegetables not only tastes better but is much healthier for you as it will contain much more fibre. A great way to switch up this recipe is to use whole wheat bagels instead of naans.

Ingredients

  • Naan bread or mini pizza crusts
  • Pizza, pasta, or marinara sauce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Toppings of choice

Steps

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Add pizza/pasta/marinara sauce on to your naans
  • Top with lots of shredded cheese
  • Add toppings of choice
  • Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes

Quesadillas

Ingredients for quesadillas laid out in bowls on a counter top Photo by jwlez on Unsplash

Quesadillas are one of my favourite things to eat because they taste great while also being so quick and easy to make. Similar to the mini pizzas, this is a great way to cater a quesadilla to your liking and is much healthier. A great way to improve this recipe is to add some more vegetables, spinach, and serve with salsa or guac.

Ingredients

  • Tortillas
  • Bell peppers
  • Onions
  • Black beans
  • Corn
  • Meat or Beyond Meat
  • Cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Vegetable oil or spray

Steps

  • Boil your beans to your liking
  • Cut up some bell peppers and onions. Heat up a pan with a little bit of vegetable oil and fry them until the onions are brown
  • Add about 2-3 tablespoons of meat/beyond meat, your fried peppers and onions, beans, corn, and cheese to half of the tortilla
  • Fold the tortilla in half and place it on a frying pan.
  • Heat up each side of the tortilla for about a minute on medium heat
  • Cut up the quesadilla into quarters and serve with sour cream

I hope you find these recipes as helpful and enjoy them as much as I did. They have really made cooking a lot less intimidating and actually more fun! Try them out, tweak them to your taste, and remember: exams are important, but eating is too.

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