It is the exam time again, and surely your child is trying his/herbest to learn, revise, and memorize all the chapters from every textbook that he/she has. But even after all the sincere efforts, there are times when it seems like the child is not being able to retain much information or just doesnot feel energized enough to sit through the much-needed hour-long study sessions. Still, there is no reasonfor you to panic or the child to feel discouraged as we can assure you that these things are highly common during the exam time. We, at Banyan Tree School, believe that such mental blocks or the lack of focus stems from low energy and it is nothing that a bit of power snacking cannot fix.
We have seen that children have the habit of trying to get back their energy and focus during the exam time through completely wrong methods, like loading up on fat-filled, sugar-laden treats or relying on several cups of coffee. Such foods lead to a quick rise in the dopamine levels, but those levels soon plunge, leading to long-term detrimental effects. So, our advice would be to ditch those unhealthy snacking habits and choose the following power snacks which would ultimately help you in keeping your kids’ energy levels up to indulge in some focused studying.
Smoothies
Instead of letting the children have sugary soda or coffee, you can let them have healthy smoothies that will provide them all the right nutrition, and at the same time, curb the hunger. There are countless ways to customize smoothiesaccording to one’s liking. Just make sure to incorporate your child’s favorite fruits and veggies in it to make him/her happily reach out for it.
Cashews and Almonds
With the exams around the corner, it’s time to go nuts! No, we are not asking the children to actually get all nervous and anxious. We are simply suggesting you to offer them cashews and almonds as these are excellent sources of protein and magnesium, both of which play a key role in converting foods into energy.
Dark Chocolate
This is one snack that your child is bound to love if he is a serious chocoholic. The natural antioxidants in dark chocolate help in improving blood flow to the brain, thereby, letting your child focus well on his studies. Besides, it also helps the body to release endorphins, which uplifts the mood. But make sure to give this snack in moderationonly.
Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt is an excellent choice if you want to give your child a filling and healthy snack. It has twice as much protein as regular yogurts, and thus, is effective enough to keep those hunger pangs at bay. You can add in some fresh fruits in it as well for that extra dose of nutrition.
Hummus and Veggies
We understand that veggies do not really feature in the top five favorite foods of all time for most kids. But you can always make veggies taste better with some hummus. Hummus is high in calcium, protein, and the brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, which make it the perfect accompaniment with fiber and vitamin filled veggies.
Apples and Peanut Butter
Choose a healthy alternative to eating dips and chips. You can slice up an apple and offer your child the dip of the peanut butter. It makes a highly appetizing snack to be munched on anytime and apart from the great taste that the kids will love, it also comes loaded with proteins essential for their energy.
Roasted Chickpeas
Give your kids roasted chickpeas as a salty and crunchy alternative to chips. Chickpeas are full of fiber and protein and taste absolutely delicious when you roast them in the oven with some chili powder and salt for about 45 minutes. You can also add cinnamon and honey, or parmesan and garlic to the roasted chickpeas for added effect.
We, at the Banyan Tree School, ranked among the Top 10 Schools in Chandigarh, believe that hunger pangs should never come in the way of focusing and concentrating during study time. We hope, with this list of seven easy to make power snacks, you will be able to effectively deal with the hunger pangs of your children, while also ensuring that their energy levels are kept high, without having to resort to unhealthy fast food alternatives.
