Good and bad (but totally worth it) study snacks

Heyyy everyone!! How’s it going?? 

Honestly, I am so tired of university work and studying right now, I could bang my head against the desk. But I won’t because all that would do is give me a headache. End of term fatigue though is a real thing, and sometimes the only way to help you get through those long hours without giving up or succumbing to the temptations of Netflix (or a nap) are to find the right snacks to keep you going.

This brings me to today’s blog topic!!

Okay, so I know that snacking is not exactly healthy – I mean, those calories can sneak up on you quite quickly. However, working and studying does require some energy, and if you don’t have big meals throughout the day, having one or two snacks on hand is a great way to replenish energy and also give you something positive to help push you through the work. I mean, if there’s one thing joyous in this world, it’s food, right? 

However, there are good study snacks and bad study snacks. Good ones are those that are filled with health and nutrition, they don’t cause sugar crashes later on, and they not only give you energy, but they make you feel good too and blah blah blah. Now I’m not anti healthy snacks at all – in fact, I’m a massive fan of them, and most of my snacks are pretty healthy. But that doesn’t mean that every snack of yours has to be healthy – yes, the more sugary ones aren’t as great for you, but sometimes they are totally worth it and actually just what you need. I mean, when you’re working on an essay late into the night, the last thing you might want is carrot sticks and some hummus. You might crave a bagel, or chocolate chip cookies, or even better, just chocolate! And that’s totally okay! 

So today, just for fun, I thought I’d run through my top snacks whilst doing uni work/studying, both the good and the bad. 

Popcorn

Popcorn can be both a healthy snack and a not-so-healthy snack, and it all depends on your toppings. If you decide to layer on the butter or the seasonings, it’s not such a great choice to share with a dietician, but just plain popcorn with some salt is actually a really healthy and low-cal snack. What’s great about it is it’s light, nice and crunchy but also super filling. Plus, your room will smell like popcorn for hours which will either be torture or heaven. 

Chocolate chip cookies 

One of the reasons why chocolate chip cookies are so evil is because they’re so moreish. You can just keep eating them forever and ever, and they still taste amazing (especially if you have a drink to go with them). Now, these definitely aren’t the healthiest choice (for that, you might want to go more with oatmeal and raisin), but they’re definitely a great snack food. My friend Lily and I used to snack on these while we were studying at Stanford, and honestly, they do take the edge off what can be some very boring reading. 

Fruit 

You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit as a snack, no matter what you pick. All of them are great, filled with vitamins and will give you that burst of fruity, fresh energy you need to power through. Personally, I prefer the fruits that have a bit of crunch to them, like apples or grapes (soft grapes are a big no for me). Bananas are okay, but those are more for breakfast or smoothies. No matter what fruit you pick though, I guarantee that it will help you get through your studying, even if it just gives you something else to do for a few minutes. 

Crisps 

Crisps are definitely one of my guilty pleasure because I know how unhealthy they can be. Especially when you add a dip (sour cream and chive dip!). My dad actually explained to me why so many people love snacks like this, and it’s actually because of the salt – we crave the salt, and these snacks give us the perfect hit that we need. So not only is sugar a drug, but so is salt! How crazy is that?? Anywho, if crisps aren’t your thing though, and you want something salty, pretzels can also be a really good option but again, beware that these are moreish, so you may end up eating a whole bag before you know it. 

Greek yoghurt and berries 

Honestly, this is more of a breakfast item for me now, but in grade 12, this was my best snack. Greek yoghurt is incredibly healthy on its own but can be a bit plain. So when you add in a few of your favourite berries and a drizzle of honey, it becomes essentially a really simplistic and delicious yoghurt parfait. It’s a great healthy snack, and it’s sweet enough to trick you into thinking it’s dessert – so a win-win. 

Chocolate 

I’ve learnt this more than ever from my close friend Emma at university. Chocolate is probably one of the greatest (and worst) snacks in the world. Sure, it’s essentially pure sugar which is never great to eat in large quantities, but during tough times it’s exactly what you need. My best advice for this snack though is to save it for when you really need it, not to eat too much and just beware that if you eat too much, your energy levels will drop even more than before you needed the snacks. 

Veggies that crunch 

Sometimes you definitely need a crunchy snack, but something salty or unhealthy isn’t what you need. That’s where veggies become the perfect solution. My personal favourites are carrots and bell peppers, probably because they’re a little bit sweet but also just because I absolutely love veggies. If you want, you could always have a little hummus with your veggies if you need something to dip them in, but personally, I prefer to just crunch on them plain. 

And so there you have it! Snacks can honestly keep the world going round when work is intense, or you just need a bit of extra energy. So, before I head off for today, what are your favourite snacks when you’re working or studying? Any of the ones I’ve listed here? Let’s chat in the comments section! 

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx