Easy and Healthy Snacks for Stressful Times

For people that knew me in law school, they may laugh that I’m about to encourage people to eat healthy during law school finals. I would laugh too. Not only did I tend to not snack healthy during school, but I wasn’t eating healthy–period. So, I totally understand how during this time in school, you’re more likely to say, “screw it,” and go to bed instead of packing a healthy lunch for the next day. Or more likely, say, “screw it,” and eat the free pizza that the bar prep course/student organization is offering instead of staying cooped up at the library. But it’s not just easy to eat poorly because the food is easily available; it’s also easy for the simple reason that junk food is comforting during high-stress times. And if you’re like me, you eat your emotions, so you’re often seeking out that comfort food to help with the stress and anxiety.

But I’ve been down that path and know that it feels good for the moment, but you’ll pay for it later–I know I did!

The best way to do that is to keep healthy snacks on hand so that you don’t overdo it with the bad snacks and aren’t as tempted when that free food is offered. This requires some work up front, but it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes of your time to prepare healthy snack options.

Here are my top choices for healthy and easy snacks–

One. Unsalted nuts. Buy a big jar and then separate it into smaller bags to take with you every day. Nuts provide protein, are filling, and are savory enough to satisfy someone looking for a salty snack.

Two. Veggies and fruits. These may not be as satisfying as cookies or chips, but they will keep you feeling fuller, longer, and actually nourish your body (and brain!). The key here is to use produce that is easy to transport and doesn’t require cutting or peeling. My suggestions: baby carrots, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, snow peas, grapes, apples, cuties (peeling is a breeze), and most berries. Mix and match and you’ll have a nice variety that may help you decline those cookies and chips.

Three. Granola. You can make your own–ha, just kidding I know no one has time for that at this point. I prefer a bag of granola that I can graze on– I really like granola. But, bars are more convenient and you can get varied flavors so that you’re not eating the same thing every day.

Four. Dark Chocolate. If you have a sweet tooth, keep dark chocolate on hand. It’s not as sweet as milk chocolate, but it’s still tasty and it has the added benefit of being slightly better for you. I really like Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. Two squares are more than enough!

Five. Tea. Keep a tin with your favorite teas in your locker, or just bring a couple of tea bags with you every day. Invest in a tumbler and you’re all set. While we all tend to be coffee lovers, drinking tea can be especially useful if you don’t take your coffee plain, but rather use cream and/or sugar. But replacing just one coffee with an herbal tea will help keep those extra calories at bay, but still give you the energy boost you need. My fave is peppermint tea–it’s the bomb.

What are your favorite healthy snacks? I also want to include that you can totally take a study break and go to the event being held that has free food or do a coffee run with a friend–those breaks and interactions are so necessary! But don’t feel weird if you skip the junk food and bring your own stuff–who knows, maybe you’ll be the catalyst for others to snack healthy as well!