4 brain foods perfect for studying

If you’re living the true student lifestyle, chances are that you’re on a tight budget when it comes to food. On the flip-side, if you’re working full time, you may have the money, but not the time to prepare healthy meals.

These four foods fit somewhere in the middle of those two lifestyles, are relatively inexpensive and easy to take with you to snack on throughout the day.

They will have your brain and body functioning at peak performance levels to ace those study goals of yours.

Wholegrains

If you know you’ve got a big day ahead, try to incorporate wholegrains into your meals. Foods such as oatmeal, brown rice and popcorn (yes popcorn, you read that right!) will not only keep you fuller for longer so that you don’t binge on other, less healthy foods, but it may improve your concentration. Our concentration skills are linked to the brain’s supply of glucose, and when we eat whole grains with a low GI (glycaemic index), they slowly and steadily release glucose into the bloodstream.

Blueberries

This antioxidant-rich superfood has the potential to boost memory retention which is exactly what you will need after a good study session. Not only do the researchers from Tufts University claim that blueberries improve memory – they state that blueberries can actually reverse memory loss. This study is the first to show that fruits and vegetables actually reverse dysfunctions in behaviour and nerve cells. How cool is that?

-> Try making this blueberry almond butter smoothie in your study break.

Walnuts

A study snack doesn’t get any easier than this. Research results from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California found that eating a handful of walnuts daily as a snack, or as part of a meal, can help improve your cognitive health.

When learning a new language, you will need all the help you can get when it comes to boosting memory, concentration and the speed at which your brain processes information.

Treat yourself with these life-changing banana walnut pancakes.

Dark chocolate

The next time you crave a sweet treat, reach for the dark chocolate. Having your daily fix of cocoa has been found to improve blood flow to the brain and can even improve verbal fluency and cognitive function in elderly people. Be sure to skip the highly processed versions, and instead go for at least 70% cocoa and higher. Just remember, the darker the chocolate, the more flavonols (which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties).

-> Why not combine your wholegrain oats and dark chocolate in one recipe? Check out these healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

We’re excited for you to try these foods and we hope they come in handy. Keep in mind that like all foods, they should be eaten in moderation as part of a healthy and balanced diet.