Did you know that most (81%!) people grab a study snack to enjoy while they hit the books? Studying and snacking are like peas in a pod, and the study-snacking options are endless.
With so much variety, we wanted to see what you’re eating to power through those long hours of studying!
What are the Most Popular Study Snacks?
We sent a survey to over 100,000 people. When the answers started coming in, we were able to build a picture of what’s been going on in the wide world of study snacking.
What about you—would you dip a pickle in peanut butter?
Sit back, relax, grab a bag of chips, and see how people are fueling those study sessions.
Study Snacks Infographic PDF
We got so much insight from our study snacks survey that we couldn’t fit everything in one place. Here are a few of our favorite bonus stats!
51% of those who don’t snack while studying said snacks are distracting
Almost half of the study snackers spend $10-$19 every week on snacks
Lays® is the #1 chip brand
Chocolate is the #1 sweet snack
Fruit is the #1 healthy snack
At Mometrix, we’re all about studying effectively and getting the most from our study sessions. With that in mind, we looked at a few of the best study snacks for powering through when your nose is in the books.
How Much Energy Will I Use Studying?
Studying does burn calories, but not very many. You can expect to burn something like 100 calories per hour of focused study. This is certainly not an effective diet and exercise plan, but you can feel mental fatigue after a few hours. This is because your brain needs breaks and fuel, just like your muscles do!
Our brain runs on glucose (blood sugar); it’s the fuel for our thinking machine. Keeping our glucose balanced means putting high-quality gas in our brain-tank.
Our body sends signals when we need a break or a snack. Tummy grumbles, loss of focus, and heavy eyelids start creeping in after hours of hard work, negatively affecting our ability to stay sharp while studying. If we skip a meal or study long into the night (don’t neglect your brain’s sleep needs!), our blood sugar can drop, and our brain loses focus.
Alternatively, if we open a big bag of candy and plow through it in 15 minutes, we might feel pretty good as our body converts those simple sugars into glucose for our brain. But simple sugars get used up quickly, and poof! We start to feel worse than we did before the snack attack. You all know that feeling. The dreaded blood sugar crash!
What’s the Best Study Snack?
The answer isn’t simple; it’s complex!
Avoid simple sugars like candy, soda, and white flour (bread, rice, pasta, etc.). These break down quickly, causing a spike in our blood sugar. It can feel like a superpower at first, but these simple carbohydrates are swiftly used, and our body starts longing for a nap as the grogginess sets in.
A small, sweet treat is ok now and then, but to really keep your brain sharp, you want to feed it with something we call complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are found in foods like whole grains (oats, bran, corn, etc.), fruit, and vegetables. You can avoid the rollercoaster of sugar ups and downs by fueling up with these healthy snacks.
*For more information visit health.com
What happens when we feed our snack attack with a big bag of candy confections? When our tummy gives a little growl and we feed it candy, our glucose spikes very quickly. But after a little while, if we don’t put something healthy in our body, our glucose will fall to levels worse than before we ate anything! Complex carbs don’t spike as high and they don’t fall off as dramatically. Healthy fats (like omega-3s found in fish) do not spike our blood sugar, and our glucose levels stay steady over a long period of time.
Whew! Pass me those jelly beans whole-grain pita chips and hummus; studying can take a lot of energy!
So how can we go beyond a supply of delicious snacks to study in the most efficient way possible?
How to Study for Any Exam
There isn’t a snack in the world that will make you a good test-taker. Or maybe you’re on a study-time crunch? What if you just don’t know how to begin studying? Mometrix has designed a new Study Secrets course to help every student, no matter what study scenario you are in.
Here’s what you’ll find in the Study Secrets course:
- Techniques to Conquer Procrastination
- Steps to Building a Study Plan Custom to Your Learning Style
- 7 Effective Note-Taking Methods
- Test-Taking Tips
- Memory Techniques and Mnemonics
- And Much More!
Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored our Study Secrets course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for their upcoming exam or semester. Click below to check it out!
