Six Foods to Bump Up Brain Power

By Karolyn Castaldo on January 25, 2012

Eating right at college is hard. There’s the late night trips to McDonald’s or Jimmy John’s with their “freaky-fast delivery” and the noon-time breakfast of all you can eat goodness in the cafeteria. What you’ve probably realized is that with this schedule and the types of food you eat, you’re probably slowing down a lot, making it tough to get out of bed on the weekends to be active or even just get your homework and studying done. However, I’ve complied a list of six foods that are guaranteed to jumpstart your brain and get your mind and body feeling healthier (with tons of antioxidants to help keep your body cells healthy too!)

Photo from Flickr.com by HealthAliciousNess

Eggs

At most schools, eggs are almost always an option at breakfast time. Sometimes, they use an artificial substitute, but will have real eggs as an option. If they have a made-to-order station in your cafeteria, ask for a 1-egg omelet, or 2-egg scrambled eggs, and they will most likely use the real eggs instead of the substitute. Eggs are also high in protein, low in calories, and have a bunch of awesome vitamins to keep you going. Eating at least 4 whole eggs per week will really get your brain in gear.

Coffee and Green Tea

Coffee is an essential to most college students, so it’s amazing that it actually is great for your brain. Apparently, the caffeine boosts brain activity, which makes it easier to function. If you’re not a coffee person, Green Tea is an excellent substitute. Both have tons of antioxidants as well. 2 cups a day will really get you going, but if you react highly to caffeine, stick to as much or as little as you can handle!

Blueberries

Blueberries, as you’ve probably heard, are the absolute best source of antioxidants. Eating 1 cup of blueberries 3-4 times per week can really make you feel tons better. They’re also low calorie, and can be eaten by themselves as a snack, or can be used as a delicious topping on yogurt or even in a smoothie with some other fruits. Even when they’re out of season, frozen blueberries still have the same amount of benefit, so you can enjoy them all year long.

Almonds

Almonds have always gotten a bad rap for being high in fat, however, they are also very high in antioxidants as well as omega-3′s and have been proven to be better than vitamin supplements. Almonds are great toppings on salads and yogurts but can also be eaten by themselves (roasted or raw). The calories can really add up though, so be careful! A recommended 17-20 almonds or 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter every other day will do the trick and keep the calories down.

Dark Greens

Dark greens, such as broccoli or spinach, have many antioxidants as well. However, most people aren’t big fans of these types of veggies, so try putting them on a salad, into a pasta dish, soup, or eating them with some sort of dip or dressing. Though these aren’t the healthiest ways to consume them, you are still getting the benefits of the veggies with a little more flavor. For best results, try to eat 1 cup of these greens per day.

Salmon

Finally, Salmon is a little harder to find on campus, but has tons of benefits. Salmon actually has the same fats in it that are found in your brain, so it can really help to keep your brain on the go. Obviously, you can’t be cooking salmon for yourself all the time, and you will almost never find it in a dining hall, so try canned salmon or the kind that comes in pouches. You can put it on your salad for a little flavor. Eating fish or salmon at least once a week is supposed to really increase brain function as well as help your brain stay healthier longer.

All of these foods can really keep you going after those long weekends out on the town, or the long nights hitting the books, so keep them in mind when you’re starting to feel run down. As always, exercise really helps keep you going stronger, longer, so try to at least get 15-30 minutes of physical activity each day!


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