Top 10 foods for deadlines

Fuel your body with the right food for a serious study session

When deadlines loom it can be tempting to resort to quick dinner fixes. Such as eating Nutella straight from the jar. But that’s not going to help you with your deadline stress, or your body.

So before you eat something you’ll regret, here are our recommendations for the top 10 foods that will help you successfully tackle your deadlines:

1. Spinach
Perfect in a salad! Spinach contains folate that produces dopamine, which has been proved to help with relaxation and distressing. 

2. Oatmeal
Your cells run on glucose, so don’t deny your body of carbohydrates when you’re feeling low on energy. A complex carbohydrate like oatmeal will help the brain make serotonin, a deficiency of which can lead to depression, whilst not spiking your blood glucose level.

3. Sweet Potato
Another helpful carbohydrate. This sweet treat is plentiful in Vitamin A and C, that’ll keep you from feeling drowsy and tired. Throw this in the oven with some salt and pepper, and you’re ready to go.

4. Fruits
Fruits contain tyrosine which have been linked to deeper thinking and creativity. Drizzle some peanut butter over apples for a delicious quick snack.

5. Almonds
The copper and manganese in almonds regulate the energy within your body by neutralising nasty toxins in your cells (which build up during times of stress). 

6. Broccoli
Put stress on hold by eating these mini trees high in folic acid!

7. Dark chocolate
A bite of this will send those endorphins rushing in and the pressure rushing out. Avoid varieties with high sugar and milk content and go for ones that have 70% cocoa content or more.

8. Eggs
Both delicious and dense in protein, it is considered a ‘complete’ source of protein that will keep you strong when you are feeling weak.

9. Black tea
Swap your coffee for black tea to avoid a caffeine crash and lower your stress hormones.

10. Peanut Butter
A spoonful of peanut butter will boost your energy — it has a healthy combination of fats, protein, and fibre that will keep you full and your blood-sugar level stable.

A healthy diet won't guarantee academic success, but it's important to provide your body with the right nutrients to keep your body and mind in tip top condition.