You know when you have those terrible days — the ones that go on and on with no breaks? You just get extra irritable when your professor tells you, “Oh, I’ll just be one more minute!” and then goes on for five. Suddenly, you’re allotted time that’s meant for waiting in the outrageously long Uppercase line for coffee and a cookie is spent sprinting across campus. Those days for me are Thursdays, or better known as my “hangry day.”
For those of you that live under a rock, hangry is a combination of hungry and anger — more specifically, the anger that arises from being hungry. One of my biggest mistakes is allowing myself to be hangry. I always forget about the snacks I have in my fridge and then I end up spending a lot of money that I don’t need to be spending on snacks that aren’t even that healthy or filling. Sound familiar?
Some things I really like to bring to campus are very simple and always fit in my backpack:
Fruit: Apples and bananas are always my go-to and then usually whatever is in season. In the winter, clementines — in the spring, plums.
Veggies: Something as simple as carrots, mini cucumbers, celery or whatever! Throw it in a Ziploc and call it a day. Bring along some hummus or whatever dip your little heart desires and eat away. Just don’t be that person that chews carrots really loudly in the library…
Nuts: Nuts are full of nutrients and are very filling. While they are expensive, you only should be eating around a handful a day. One box can last you awhile, depending on the size. My personal favourites are walnuts, pecans and almonds. They’re super simple to just throw into your backpack and munch on during class.
Treats: Since it’s almost Halloween, I'm usually a sucker for a box of chocolate and then bringing two bars with me to campus. If you wait until after Halloween, the leftover boxes will go on sale immediately, which is also a bonus. For the rest of the year, I’m a big fan of homemade cookies or bringing Arrowroot cookies because I’m secretly a six-year old.
Granola bars: I oftentimes make the mistake of throwing one granola bar in my bag and calling it lunch. Don’t do this! Hanger will take over! Instead, pair a granola bar with some veggies and have it as your first snack of the day. I would recommend Kashi bars or Cliff bars.
Leftovers: If you’re cooking for yourself every night, make extra, throw it in a Tupperware and eat it the next day for lunch! These are the best days — no hangry Emma in sight.
Meal prepping lunches for yourself every day can get very tedious and take up quite a bit of time. A combination of the snacks above is a decent alternative as long as you're balancing what you’re eating and getting enough to fuel yourself throughout the day.
It’s really important to eat throughout the day to keep your mind sharp and active. It’s also a great practice to carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go so you don’t dehydrate yourself and end up with a pounding headache and a feeling of faintness. Take care of your body and eat!