Healthy Brain Food for Your Next All-Nighter

Today, Americans are busier than ever. We can’t seem to find time to relax. We want to be the best at everything in college. From grades to sports to campus activities - we're willing to just about anything so we can get a $500,000 paid job,  buy a 3-story beach house in L.A., a penthouse in N.Y.C., a yellow Lamborghini, or a private jet. This means we must spend a LOT of hours studying just so we can graduate and get that money-making job!

Staying up all night studying is certainly a gift in itself considering the distractions of partying, Facebook, and LOST reruns. Often, we;re too busy to eat and nothing is open late on campus, so we rely on harmful energy drinks and coffee to keep us awake. But what we really need when we get tired is protein because protein gives our body and brain fuel (energy) to keep us running.

Being in a dorm with a mini-fridge and a microwave makes it difficult to eat healthily. Luckily I’ve got the inside scoop from Evan Campbell, a fitness specialist at AskMen Magazine. Here is a list of protein-packed snacks that you can easily have at your hands even in a dorm room!

1. Beef Jerky – this ready-to-eat snack gives you 11 grams of protein! Try to find organic beef jerky because brands sold in regular grocery stores are often high in salt

2. Trail Mix - you can buy the kind of your preference at your local grocery store or make your own. Here is the recipe Evan uses: ¼ cup of raisins and other dried fruit (apples, peaches bananas) with a ¼ cup of nuts of your choice (cashews, almonds, peanuts). This recipe is 292 calories with 8 grams of protein! To make it more interesting, I personally add dark chocolate chips for a sweet and savory treat. It doesn’t take away from protein and is just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth!

3. Pita Crisps with Hummus – slice pita into 8 pieces and top with 2 tbsps of hummus. This tasty treat has 10 grams of protein. I would substitute peanut butter for hummus. It is just a good source of protein as hummus.

4. Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Nuts – this childhood breakfast may not seem like a protein-filled concoction, but it has just as much protein as the hummus snack! 10 grams of protein! Microwave a packet of plain instant oatmeal, add a tbsp of brown sugar and add two tbps of your choice of nuts!

5. Low-Fat Yogurt with Granola and Honey – combine ¾ cup of plain low-fat yogurt with a ¼ cup of low-fat granola and a tbsp of honey to create this 7-gram protein snack.

What’s great about all of these snacks is that they aren’t hard on your digestive system and don’t break your bank. They can easily be eaten at any hour and they can last for a while in your fridge or on the counter. If this is even too much time, try buying protein bars and pre-bottled protein shakes from a health foods store. They can give you anywhere from 10 grams of protein to 45 grams.

So the next time your about to press the speed-dial button for Dominos, think about these tasty snacks you could have that will do what you need it to do, that is give you energy, without gaining bad calories.

-- By Erin McClary