The best study snacks and why they work

There are so many things that can distract you from studying. Maybe you have low energy and can’t concentrate. Maybe you’re hungry and that’s pulling focus away from your work. Maybe you’re even struggling with your memory right now due to stress or depression. Food is a good and sustainable way to address all of these factors, alongside daily physical activity and quality sleep. In this article, however, we’re talking about the best study snacks and why they can work for you, in addition to being delicious.

1. Coffee with milk

You probably already know that coffee can help increase your energy levels and keep you awake, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to tell you to drink coffee when you have to study late at night (more on that later). Another great thing coffee does is increase the production of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine lifts your mood, making coffee a great option for the beginning of the study session, when you may not feel like getting stuck in. This neurotransmitter also improves focus and boosts concentration, helping you take in more information when you’re learning. Limit your coffee intake to two cups per day and don’t drink any coffee at all after lunchtime. This will prevent caffeine-related anxiety and poor sleep later on.

2. Trail mix

Toss together a big bowl of mixed nuts, your favourite dried fruits and small pieces of chopped dark chocolate. Carbohydrates are our brain’s preferred source of energy, so you’re definitely going to want to include them when you’re planning your study snacks. Fruit contains plenty of carbs in the form of sugar, as does dark chocolate, and this often results in a spike in blood sugar (and energy), followed by an energy crash. We use fat to counteract this effect, and that’s where nuts come in. Nuts contain plenty of the good fats, which force the body to digest carbohydrates more slowly when the two are eaten together. This will give you a steady flow of energy for the next couple of hours. And remember, a portion of trail mix is about a quarter cup, so try to stick to that amount at snack time.

3. Popcorn

There are so many things to love about popcorn. It’s high in protein, wholegrain carbohydrates and fibre. All of these nutrients work towards sustainable slow-release energy to help you concentrate. They also work together to keep you fuller for longer, so you won’t be distracted by hunger 30 minutes into your study session. Popcorn is also extremely low in calories considering the nutritional value it serves, but only if you prepare it correctly. Stay away from ready-to-microwave popcorn or cooking it on the stove with heaps of butter and oil. Instead, buy a bag of kernels and mix a portion with one or two tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pop them into a brown paper bag and then microwave the popcorn until it’s done.

4. Smoothies

Do you want a wholesome filling snack that includes lots of brain foods plus energy-boosting nutrients? A smoothie is the best way to do this. Remember, our brains need carbs for energy, and healthy fats to help our bodies absorb and use that energy more slowly rather than all at once. So we’ll start with those as a base. We love the idea of oats as your main carb option. They blend easily, give smoothies a nice texture and they have a neutral flavour. Milk offers the same smoothie-making benefits, while offering protein and fat. Now that you have your base, it’s time to add brain food!

  • Blueberries have been found to support memory and cognition.
  • The omega fatty acids found in chia seeds, nuts and seeds are great for concentration and overall brain health.
  • L-theanine is a compound found in green tea that increases focus while decreasing anxiety at the same time!
  • Greens like spinach, broccoli and lettuce are about the long game. Eat them regularly for long-term cognitive health throughout your studies, working life and beyond.
  • Dark chocolate (in small amounts) because it’s another food that naturally contains caffeine.

5. Apples and celery with peanut butter

We know it sounds weird, especially the celery part, but celery and apples are an amazing combo, and celery and peanut butter are an amazing combo (try it before you deny it). Apples are packed with nutrients and energy in the form of carbs, making it a well-rounded snack when paired with a healthy fat protein like peanut butter. When it comes to celery, recent studies have shown that it can improve memory. The evidence also points towards helping people with depression. If you suffer from depression and find that it is affecting your memory (as it commonly does), adding celery to your diet could help to counter this symptom. We’re excited to see where this research leads! When it comes to peanut butter, you can benefit from all the brain boosting effects its omega fatty acids offer. These include improved memory, cognition, concentration and mood.

6. Veggies and hummus

If you’re not a sweet tooth and prefer savoury snacks, what about veggies and hummus? Choose a wide range of veggies in different colours for your energy and nutrients. Serve them with some hummus on the side for dipping to act as your protein and fat source. If you’re a slow snacker, carrots, cucumber, sliced peppers and celery keep (and travel) well, and they all pair well with hummus and each other.

7. Fruit yoghurt ice lollies

Have you ever been in a test or an exam, and a teacher pulls out a bag of Fizz Pops or chewy sweets for the class writing? If you have, you’ll probably remember forever how good your memory and concentration were that day. If you look around, you’ll see this everywhere. People chew gum to increase focus during the work day, they bite their nails to concentrate on something they’re reading, snacking on small nibbles throughout a movie feels like it helps you to enjoy it more. Multiple studies have been conducted to find out if chewing and/or slow snacking does improve concentration and focus. They found that it definitely does, although they don’t quite know how or why just yet. If you find that it helps you concentrate, you don’t have to wait for a teacher to offer you a snack while you’re writing. Take advantage now while you’re still preparing. Buy a six-pack of plain yoghurts. Remove the lids and add your favourite fruits (fresh or frozen). Pop in a stick (use plastic cutlery if you’ve got it building up from takeaways) and freeze them overnight. When you’re ready, snap off one of the yoghurt tubs and gently slide out the now-frozen lolly to enjoy.

If you find that you do tend to struggle to concentrate while studying, maybe it’s time to find a new approach. Instead of sitting down to learn a list of facts, maybe spend 10 minutes learning something you need to know off by heart. For the rest of your study session, do a bunch of past paper questions. This method of studying can feel more active and purposeful. Find hundreds of past papers on Paper Video, with an experienced teacher explaining the answer to each individual question should you get stuck. Paper Video is free for 2023, so you can dive in right now, study snack in hand!

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Homeschooling: The importance of having a dedicated study space

For a learner to get information from the textbook into their long-term memories requires many cognitive functions. In this blog article, we’ll explore the role of a dedicated study space for a homeschool learner and try to answer why this is important. To answer this question, we look to cognitive load theory.

Cognitive load theory

Cognitive load is a scientific term used to describe the amount of strain we put on our memory when we study and learn new material. When we learn new things, there are two types of memory that are important.  

  1. Working memory – Working memory has a limited capacity and is where everything we learn goes first. The average person can hold around seven bits of information in their working memory. Any more than that will probably be forgotten. 
  2. Long-term memory – Long-term memory is theoretically unlimited and is where new information goes once it has passed through the working memory. Things like your name, your phone number and birthdate are examples of information that is in your long-term memory. When information is consolidated to our long-term memories, we are well on our way to learning and remembering that information.

Cognitive load is the process of our working memories being filled with relevant information. Once it reaches capacity and we try to add more information, we are exceeding our cognitive load capacity and we will struggle to learn. 

What does cognitive load have to do with study spaces?

How do we process information? We process information by using our senses. Learners have many ways in which they process information, but reading a textbook is the most common way. 

If a learner works through their textbook, their working memory fills up with new information. We call this intrinsic load, or the effort needed to understand the work they are busy with. This will differ from subject to subject and based on a learner’s foundational knowledge of the subject they will exert a certain cognitive effort. 

The problem comes in with what we call extraneous load or things that result in extra cognitive effort irrelevant to understanding the work. 

In other words, if your working memory capacity was a box that could take seven blocks, both the information you are learning, and the extra information add blocks to the same box. This means that for every extra block in the box, the learner loses one space for learning the new work. Our study spaces thus have a direct influence on our ability to study and learn effectively.

Study space tips

With an understanding of how we learn and process new information, here are some tips to help you maximise your study space for learning.

  • Remove TVs, mobile phones, laptops and computers from your study space

In the context of the 21st-century, these are all devices that form part of our learning journey and aren’t necessarily a bad thing. However, they add extra information to our working memories when they are displaying things irrelevant to what we are studying. There is nothing wrong with a YouTube video on baking an apple pie if you want to learn how to bake an apple pie. But when you are watching the same video while studying factorisation in maths, you will struggle to learn. WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and other social media have the same effect and the chance of you effectively studying while engaging with these platforms are very slim.

  • Declutter

If the desk in your study space looks more like a display for a garage sale than a space dedicated to studying, you are likely adding extra information to your working memory. Every time your attention shifts to one of the objects on the desk you are adding extra information to your working memory. To respect the limits of your working memory, it is important to have a clean space to study. Try to put away toys and gadgets that might distract you from the task at hand.

  • Study in silence

Lots of research has been done on the influence of music and other audio on the learning process. While there is still some debate on the influence of classical music on learning, we know that music with lyrics, podcasts and other audio of the sort is detrimental to the learning process. If music or audio have spoken words, they add to our cognitive load and decreases our potential for learning. Try to study in silence to give yourself the best chance of mastering the material.

  • Create a good study environment

Try not to study on your bed or other areas that you associate with relaxation and entertainment as you have trained your brain to expect these things in this environment. If your brain has to make sense of why you are now studying on your bed instead of sleeping, it will take up some of your cognitive capacity and hamper your learning.

Conclusion

Now that you know how important it is to have a dedicated study space and understand why this is important as part of your learning journey, challenge yourself to make some changes to your study space. Try to think of things that add extra information to your mind when you are trying to learn something and remove these items from your study space.

By Dr Nicolaas Matthee: Instructional Designer at Optimi

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Smart study hacks for the exams

Examinations can be nerve-racking and stressful. And while a little stress can sometimes serve as a strong motivator, too much can affect your child’s ability to learn and perform during exams. One way to minimise – or at least manage – stress is to be prepared. 

While nothing replaces hard work, some techniques can increase efficiency, boost productivity and improve concentration. While not every method will work for your child, it’s worth some trial and error to find the ones that do.  

First, cover the basics

  • Plan: Develop a timetable and study routine tailored to your child’s grade, learning style and peak learning time.
  • Eat: Maintain proper nutrition by feeding your child healthy, nutritious meals and snacks. The brain needs food to function. 
  • Sleep: Make sure your child gets plenty of rest while preparing for exams. Sleep affects cognitive function – it improves the ability to think clearly and logically and assimilates the information learned during the day. 
  • Move: Science says that just 20 minutes of exercise can boost brainpower. Whether riding a bike or walking around the block, exercise will increase your child’s energy levels and reduce the effects of stress.
  • Relax: It may sound counterintuitive, but all work and no play is a recipe for disaster. So, allow your child to relax and rejuvenate by watching a movie, listening to music, or playing a sport. 

Also read: Cool ways to beat summer boredom

Tried and tested

  • Practice, practice, practice: One secret weapon when preparing for upcoming exams is working through past papers. Practising sample answers to past exam questions can help train your child’s brain to retrieve information. It also helps pinpoint weak areas. In addition, it shows what to expect in terms of the format/wording of questions, so your child won’t get confused or tripped up during the actual exam.
  • Short sessions for the win: Taking a short break after 45 – 50 minutes of study helps the brain absorb more information while maintaining motivation and focus. Research suggests that for intense memorisation sessions – such as trying to learn names, dates and events, a foreign language or math formulae – sessions should be no longer than 20 – 30 minutes.
  • Make use of memory aids: Let your child use mind maps to connect ideas, draw diagrams to visualise information, create flashcards to memorise key concepts, definitions, quotes and formulas, or try mnemonic devices – a song, rhyme, sentence or phrase – to help remember and recall material. Whichever aid your child chooses, make it simple, logical and colourful – colour helps heighten attention. 

Something slightly different

  • Speak up: If your child is struggling to grasp something, let them say it out loud instead of simply reading through it. You will be surprised how much more they retain when they have said it out loud. 
  • Teach: The best way to test if your child really understands something is to ask them to try to teach it to someone else. This is a particularly good way to discover if they have a basic grasp of the concepts. If there’s no-one around, let your child teach a class of stuffed animals! 
  • Listen to music: Listening to certain types of music while studying can enhance productivity, motivation and focus levels. Take note, though, that music should never be counterproductive or distracting. 
  • Chew on it: Scientists aren’t exactly sure why, but the act of chewing gum is a brain booster. Chewing gum raises alertness and attention, but only for periods of around 20 minutes – so employ this technique when your child is studying particularly tricky or difficult concepts.

What not to do 

  • Don’t let your child study similar subjects one after another: Sandwiching History or Geography in between Maths and Science will help the brain absorb all three subjects much better.
  • Don’t let your child stay up all night before an exam: Make sure your child gets adequate rest the night before an exam. 
  • Don’t let children spend all their time making elaborate study notes: The more time they spend making mini works of art, the less time they have to study.
  • Don’t let them leave studying until the last minute: Last-minute cramming is generally not the best way to approach an exam.
  • Don’t let your child freak out: Do whatever you can to help your child stay calm. If their stress levels spiral out of control, the brain will stop functioning.

Also read: Helpful tips for managing your child’s academic anxiety

Finally, as your child prepares for upcoming tests or exams, remember the words of Thomas Edison: “There is no substitute for hard work”.

By Danielle Barfoot

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How iron deficiency fuels exam stress and compromises learner performance

As exam season approaches, students across the country prepare for one of their most challenging academic periods. Research reveals a critical yet overlooked element affecting student performance: low iron stores and anaemia and their profound impact on cognitive function and stress management, especially amongst school-going teens.

As part of the “Iron It Out” awareness campaign currently being rolled out across Cape Town schools, Cape Town Infusion Centre’s Sister Karin Davidson, the Infusion Room’s Sister Pippa Hime and dietitian Kath Megaw are highlighting the symptoms of low iron stores and/or anaemia and offering practical advice on how to combat and manage this common condition.

The global iron pandemic

One in four people globally may be experiencing the effects of anaemia during their most critical learning years, according to a 2021 study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. The World Health Organisation reports that the impact is particularly severe across African nations where an estimated 103 million children are affected by anaemia. In addition, in sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of anaemia has risen to 41.5% amongst non-pregnant women.

Iron deficiency and exam stress

The physiological impact of iron deficiency creates a perfect storm for academic underperformance amongst school-going children. Several factors compound exam stress: sleep deprivation during intensive study periods, poor nutrition as students prioritise study time over balanced meals, increased caffeine consumption which interferes with iron absorption, heightened anxiety about academic performance, and social isolation reducing support systems.

Iron deficiency compounds each of these stressors through direct neurological pathways:

Cognitive impact: Low iron stores with or without anaemia can cause a decrease in attention span and cognitive processing, poorer sensory perception functions and decreased emotional regulation. “The most common symptom is fatigue, but difficulty concentrating and mental fog are symptoms we see often in our practice,” says Sister Davidson.

Anxiety connection: There is a direct link between low iron stores/anaemia and increased anxiety levels. Iron plays a crucial role in producing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood.

“Since launching the “Iron It Out” campaign two months ago, every time we pose our questions about symptoms, we see a sea of hands raised – up to 50% of our audience,” says Sister Davidson, whose work encourages advocacy from teens to their parents, teachers and caregivers.

Physical symptoms include: Persistent fatigue and weakness, shortness of breath during normal activities, poor sleep, cold hands and feet, brittle nails and/or hair loss, and pica (unusual cravings for non-food items).

Cognitive and emotional symptoms include: Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, poor memory retention, increased anxiety and irritability, and feeling overwhelmed by previously manageable tasks.

Expert nutritional advice for high-stress periods

Kath Megaw, registered dietitian and founder of the paediatric practice, Nutripaeds, emphasises the necessity for robust nutritional support during exams. “Having a stress-responsive nutrition strategy is as crucial to preparing for exams as revision,” she says. 

Key strategies include:

  1. Stress-relieving foods: Pair iron-rich foods like meat, fish, poultry, lentils and spinach with vitamin C sources to boost absorption. Include magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens to ease muscle tension and improve sleep quality.
  2. Smart meal timing: Start the day with protein, iron and slow-release carbohydrates. Plan small, regular meals every three to four hours to keep blood sugar steady. Choose light, nourishing options for late-night study sessions.
  3. Iron-rich foods for busy students: Boiled eggs with fruit, wholegrain wraps with chicken and spinach, lentil soup, trail mix with nuts and seeds, and smoothies with banana, nut butter and spinach.

Supplementation and treatment

Both Sister Davidson and Megaw agree that iron supplements and infusions can be life-changing when administered after conclusive blood tests. “Medical grade iron infusions effectively treat anaemia, while low iron stores can be corrected using supplementation once levels are above a certain threshold,” says Sister Davidson.

Oral Iron supplementation tips:

  • Take on an empty stomach with water or orange juice.
  • Avoid taking with tea, coffee, or high-calcium foods such as dairy, as these block absorption.
  • Combine iron-rich foods with stress-calming nutrients and steady meal timing.

“Our work advocates for patients to be aware of the value of healthy iron stores, to act when intervention is needed, and to maintain optimal levels thereafter, for both everyday life and during times of increased stress,” concludes Sister Davidson.

SIGN UP TODAY – IT’S 100% FREE

Know a school or organisation that would benefit from engaging in the Iron It Out campaign? email [email protected] or [email protected] to enquire and to book a workshop.

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