Can brain food really improve your academic performance? 

By: Vanessa

To me, there’s nothing more motivating than a snack. When I know there’s a long study session ahead of me, I make sure to have a couple of snacks ready to go. While not everyone may use them as rewards for progress made, snacks help me set small, achievable goals. I read in this Healthy Study Snacks blog that certain foods can help your brain retain information and focus—both very important while studying. Foods that are high in things like fibre, protein, and healthy fats are particularly helpful with this. Canada’s Food Guide breaks down which foods to eat with healthy fats. Things like nuts, seeds, hummus, and avocado, to me, feel more substantial than a light snack that will soon leave me hungry.  

If you like to snack when you’re studying and believe that it helps you focus, you may be onto something! You might be surprised to know that chocolate is actually a good study snack for staying focused. 

If you’ve done your research, you’ll know that it’s not just chocolate that can help you through your study sessions. So, what is “brain food” really, and should we be eating more of it? 

What most people consider to be “brain food” are foods that have high nutritional value and can help “improve memory and brain power.” Try to incorporate blueberries, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or kale into your study snacks and see if you can feel the difference!

However, if you just like to treat yourself and munch on whatever you have nearby, regardless of how healthy it is, you’re not alone! Sometimes, the less healthy a snack is, the tastier it is—and the happier it makes me feel. Given the choice between a brain food or a guilty pleasure snack, I lean towards the guilty pleasure snacks when I’m studying.

I asked around the office and found that more SSU staff would choose a guilty pleasure snack over a brain food. Interestingly, among the folks who chose brain food, it seems that blueberries are a popular choice. 

My biggest guilty pleasure snacks are tortilla chips and salsa, kettle-cooked chips, and white cheddar popcorn. I find that when it comes to salty vs. sweet snacks, I tend to gravitate toward a salty snack like roasted seaweed. Having something tasty keeps me motivated to finish up my work, and I’m not the only one driven by taste! Of the SSU staff that I talked to, more than half of them would choose a savoury study snack over a sweet one. Next time you walk around campus, take a look and see what your fellow students are munching on when they’re working! Do you see more fries or doughnuts?  

For the health-focused individuals who never eat anything without considering the health benefits first, you might have specific goals when you consider healthy snack options. Do you choose foods based on their high vitamin and mineral content? Or do you pay attention to the fibre, protein, or calories on the nutrition facts label? 

While I’m not the most knowledgeable on what to prioritize, I often hear that protein is important, especially for vegetarians such as myself.  I found that just over half of the SSU staff I asked would choose a high-protein over a low-calorie study snack. Since protein is known to aid in muscle growth—maybe there are more fitness-oriented staff than I thought!    

Although nutritiousness isn’t something I prioritize too much in a study snack, I find that protein bars are a good option when I need a healthier, but still tasty, alternative to my usual crunchy, salty chips. They’re easy to bring to class or work, and packing extra means I can share with friends! 

Also, when it comes to studying, I’ve been a student long enough to get into a routine. Where and when I study, and how I divide my time all comes with being an experienced student. However, with study snacks, I don’t have to stick to a strict routine. Although I tend to go for the same genre of salty and savoury snacks, I don’t absolutely need the exact same snack to motivate myself through study sessions. And I’m not alone!

So, next time you study and are looking for something to munch on, consider getting brain food on your next grocery run! If we snack with good intentions, it can’t be that bad, right? 🤭 Good luck with your studies, everyone! 

Hungry for more?

If you’re craving more food-focused blogs, let us know! In the meantime, you can satisfy your appetite with our SSU Hungry content on Instagram, OR if you’re looking for new recipe inspiration and food-related hacks, check out these blogs!