Meals

Study Tips for Finals Week

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Written by Kera Cashman, Medical Dietetics Intern

Finals week is here and we know that means students are studying for long hours and getting less sleep. To help fuel your body for long study sessions and keep your energy levels up throughout the day, consider these tips:

  • Fuel your body by eating within 1-2 hours of waking up and every 3-4 hours after that. For those who forget to eat, it may be helpful to set alarms on your phone to remind yourself.
  • If you’re studying at the library, pack meals that give you a mix of macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat), along with a fruit or veggie. Examples include:
    • Sandwich or wrap with protein (i.e. chicken, turkey, tofu), cheese, veggies, hummus or avocado
    • Peanut butter and banana sandwich, protein shake
    • Protein bar or shake, fruit with nuts or nut butter
    • Tuna salad with crackers, yogurt, fruit or baby carrots
    • Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts
  • When hungry between meals and to sustain your energy levels throughout the day, have a snack that includes a protein or dairy source with a grain, fruit or veggie. Examples include:
    • Hummus with veggies
    • Greek yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit
    • Hard-boiled egg and fruit
    • Fruit with nuts or nut butter
    • Protein bar or shake with fruit
  • Take a 5-minute study break every 1-2 hours by doing something active, such as going for a walk, taking the stairs, folding laundry or washing dishes. This will get your energy levels back up!
  • Avoid drinking too much caffeine to prevent crashing later or affecting the quality of your sleep. The recommended amount is 2-3 cups of 8 oz of coffee per day. Check out our caffeine handout for more information.
  • Instead of eating when not hungry while studying, consider alternative activities, such as drinking a beverage (i.e. water, tea, flavored water), chewing gum, listening to soft music without lyrics, using a fidget cube or silly putty, etc.

Good luck with finals!

Benefits of Breakfast

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Written by Kera Cashman, Medical Dietetics Intern

Do you ever skip breakfast in hopes of losing weight or simply because you don’t have time to eat in the morning? Research shows that skipping breakfast can actually lead you to overeat later in the day as you may snack more and eat more at night. Studies also show that those who skip breakfast tend to gain more weight, have higher BMIs (Body Mass Index), and have an increased risk for obesity. There’s even a link between skipping breakfast and a decrease in cognitive performance and problem solving.

Providing our body with fuel in the morning can make it easier for us to eat well later in the day with research showing people who eat breakfast getting more vitamins and minerals. Eating breakfast has also proven to boost metabolism, improve mood, concentration, and energy, and help keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. Additionally, research shows that students who eat breakfast have higher academic achievement!

A healthy breakfast consists of a mix of macros (protein, carbohydrate, fat) with three or more food groups, including one protein or dairy source and one fruit or vegetable. This mix of foods can help meet our nutrient needs and keep us full longer.

Grab-and-Go Ideas

  • Protein shake or bar, fruit with nuts or nut butter
  • Nut-based bar (i.e. KIND), hard-boiled egg, fruit
  • Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, fruit, nuts

Easy Breakfast Ideas

  • English muffin with egg and cheese, fruit
  • Smoothie with fruit, milk, protein powder, nut butter
  • ½ bagel with nut butter and banana slices, greek yogurt or cottage cheese
  • Omelet with cheese and veggies (i.e. bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, spinach/kale), whole grain toast
  • Whole grain toast with avocado and egg
  • Oatmeal (or overnight oats) made with milk, protein powder, nuts or nut butter, fruit
  • Egg muffins with cheese and veggies (i.e. spinach, onion, bell pepper), fruit or whole grain toast

Additional Resources

Healthy Game Day Meals and Snacks

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Written by Emily Crouch and Jessica Jung, Medical Dietetics Interns

Being a student at THE Ohio State University is exciting… especially during football season. Go Bucks!

Ohio State game day festivities may include a tailgate or watch party where fans excitedly gather for the game and eat delicious food. Some classic tailgating eats include chips and dip, hot dogs, wings, and pizza, foods often higher in calories, fat, and sodium.

For example, a small order of boneless wings from Buffalo Wild Wings is 1000 calories with 51 of fat and 2,320mg of sodium. For most adults, that about half of our total calorie needs and the total daily recommended amount of sodium. Two slices of cheese pizza from Donatos comes to about 570 calories, 26g of fat and 1490mg sodium. This may be fewer calories than a small order of wings, but still gives us more than half of the amount of salt we need in a day.A day of eating lots of greasy, salty foods might leave you feeling sluggish and tired. Maintaining health goals can be tricky with college experiences but putting a healthy twist on tailgate favorites can boost your energy without sacrificing taste or flavor. Make simple swaps like using whole wheat buns, choosing leaner cuts of meat, replacing sour cream with plain Greek yogurt, or doubling the veggies in pasta and casserole dishes.

Here are some tasty and nutritious ideas to try at your next tailgate or watch party:

Appetizer Ideas

  • Homemade guacamole with veggies
  • Greek yogurt dip and chopped veggies
  • Whole grain pasta salad
  • Black bean quinoa salad
  • Garlic parmesan roasted cauliflower

Meal Ideas

  • Build-your-own baked potato (sweet or white) bar
  • Veggie chili
  • Shredded chicken chili
  • Whole wheat English muffin pizzas
  • Baked chicken wings

RECIPES

Greek Yogurt Dip

Ingredients

  • 16 oz (2 cups) non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 packet ranch dip mix

Directions

  1. Put 16 oz (2 cups) of non-fat plain Greek yogurt in a bowl.
  2. Mix in 1 packet of ranch dip mix.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. Serve with your favorite veggies!

Whole Wheat English Muffin Pizzas

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat English muffins
  • Pizza sauce
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Pepperoni or turkey pepperoni
  • Favorite vegetables (i.e. onions, mushroom, bell peppers, etc.)

Directions

  1. Slice English muffins in half and toast.
  2. Spread 2 tbsp pizza sauce on each English muffin.
  3. Sprinkle with cheese and top with pepperoni and vegetables.
  4. Microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese has melted.
  5. Alternate cooking method: Instead of toasting and microwaving, bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400⁰F.

References