Picture this:
You’ve been studying for a solid two hours. The material was not taught in class. It’s your least favorite class. You are BURNT. OUT.
Where do you turn? Snack drawer, baby.
A crunchy release is what you crave. However, I’m here to guide you to a better alternative than the chips and candy I know you want. Or maybe I’m projecting and you crave health food, but whatever, here are my tips!
Salty – Swap those chips for….
1. Air-popped Popcorn
This is a cheap alternative to chips, and it definitely satisfies the crunch you crave. You can either buy this prepackaged, like SkinnyPop, or you can buy an air popper! They’re inexpensive, and then you can use your choice of seasonings. I like parsley and salt on mine!
This one is from SkinnyPOP.
2. Fruit and Veggies!
This seems pretty obvious, but a great way to make this more accessible and tastier is through dips and meal prep! On the weekends, you can cut up veggies and stick them in Tupperware for the week. Side note: my mom told me that her friend went to Paris where she had the most flavorful carrots she had ever had. It was because they cut up the large and full carrots as opposed to using baby carrots… so on the weekends, buy some carrots and cut them up and throw them in your fridge!Â
Dip wise, hummus goes on everything, but it will be a lot better for you if you swap the pita for veggies!  Salsa and guacamole are also basically great on everything! I would suggest getting a premade one, this one is sold at Walmart.
3. Rice Cakes
When I think of rice cakes, I think of a specific episode of “King and Queens” where Doug is eating them and they are just so bland. I can’t find this scene so please just imagine a disgruntled Kevin James. But the rice cakes don’t have to be bland! There are some great flavored ones, and there are also bite sized as opposed to huge discs. These are another great alternative to chips.
These are also sold at walmart!
4. Trail Mix
Trail mix is awesome because it is totally customizable. You can put together your own, but Target also has an amazing assortment! You can throw your favorite nuts in, dried fruit, dark chocolate- AMAZING! This is also nice because they sell them in small packages so they are really easy to throw in a bag and go!
Check out some options here!
Sweet – Swap that candy for…
1. Fruit and Veggies pt. 2
So in this segment of fruits and veggies, I’ll focus more on fruits. Berries are great to pop, and they taste like candy! You can also freeze fruits and it feels really indulgent! I like frozen grapes and frozen bananas. Also, bananas and strawberries are great dipped in chocolate. You can buy dark chocolate, which is a healthier alternative to milk chocolate!
2.Chocolate covered superfruits​
These are basically candy, but they are healthy or you so perfection. My faves are açai, blueberry and pomegranate. They sell these in most candy aisles!
3.Jello
Jello is another option that you can prep on the weekend and keep in your fridge for the week! It’s a low sugar option and if you like the texture, it’s a good choice. I used to hate it personally, but one day something clicked in me and now I’m all about red forms of jello.
4.Animal Crackers!
I just recently found out that these are a low cal cookie option. These are awesome cause they are sweet and crunchy so basically the perfect snack!
The most important thing is that you find something that motivates you to get through your studying!