Feature:

Brain Foods for Finals

It's May, which means the major thing standing between students and summer is finals. Stress often comes hand in hand with finals time (please see our December feature for more information and helpful hints on stress), but what students should focus on instead is how to maximize their brain power. Eating a well-balanced diet is key to reaching your brain's potential.

Here are some helpful tips to utilize before test day:

Eat a nutritionally power packed breakfast. Oatmeal or a whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and/or nuts is a great way to start your big day. Studies show that eating breakfast correlates to greater academic achievement and an improved attention span. Eating a healthy breakfast every morning is a great way to be sharp everyday of the semester, not just test day.

Get a full night of sleep. College students hear this time and time again, but it is because sleep is so important for reaching your maximum academic and athletic performance. Studies have shown students who pull all-nighters actually have slightly lower GPAs. The average sleep need for college students is over 8 hours!

Eat brain foods throughout your entire day. Coupling whole fruits and vegetables with protein packed foods such as beans, nuts and tofu help keep your mind clear and focused. Avoid higher sugar foods such as candy to prevent a crash later in the day.

Three-Grain Breakfast Cereal with Walnuts and Dried Fruit

from MyRecipes 

This mixture of barley and oats with nuts and raisins will keep you
going all morning. Walnuts provide omega-3 fatty acids, but pecans
also work nicely in this high-fiber cereal. Serve with yogurt or milk and
top with fresh fruit.

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups regular oats
• 1 cup quick-cooking barley
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• cooking spray
• 1 (7-ounce) package dried mixed fruit, chopped 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with whisk.
3. Combine oats, barley, walnuts, wheat germ, cinnamon, and
   nutmeg in a large bowl. Add syrup mixture; stir well to coat.
4. Spread oat mixture evenly onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at  325° for 30 minutes or until browned, stirring every 10 minutes.
6. Stir in dried fruit and cool completely.

Yield:  Makes 24 servings  (serving size: 1/3 cup)

Nutritional Information: 

Calories: 185 
Fat: 5.8g (0.6g sat, 1.7g mono, 2.7g poly)
Protein: 4.5g
Carbohydrate: 31.3g
Fiber: 4.0g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 4mg
Calcium: 24mg

David Bonom, Cooking Light, January 2005 via MyRecipes