With the college entrance exams approaching, how can one eat reasonably and scientifically to provide students with ample energy while also alleviating nervousness? Experts suggest that the key to pre-exam diet is “stability”—regular three meals a day, light food, and ensuring nutrition can help students maintain their best condition.
“If the stomach doesn’t act up, the brain won’t ‘freeze up,'” said a nutrition expert. Avoid sudden heavy supplementation, and do not easily make drastic changes to the usual diet. For children who do not regularly eat seafood, are lactose intolerant, prone to bloating and diarrhea, or allergic to certain foods, dietary risks should be avoided to prevent increasing the burden on the stomach and intestines, which could affect sleep and exam performance.
Students expend a lot of physical and mental energy, so they should ensure sufficient staple foods every day to supply ample energy to the brain. The expert recommends that staple foods should include a mix of coarse and fine grains, such as brown rice, millet, mixed beans, and buckwheat noodles, replacing some refined rice and white flour to avoid sharp fluctuations in blood sugar that can cause drowsiness and decreased concentration.
For protein, it is best to choose fish, lean meat, eggs, and soy products. These foods provide high-quality protein, and the tyrosine they contain helps synthesize dopamine and norepinephrine, maintaining mental sharpness. Eggs and soy products are also rich in lecithin and choline, which are important raw materials for synthesizing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, directly related to memory and reaction speed. Consume an adequate amount of vegetables daily, especially dark-colored and green ones, which provide various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, helping to relieve tension, anxiety, and stabilize mood.
For specific meal arrangements, it is recommended that breakfast follow the principle of “main dish with side dish, balancing dry and liquid.” Have a staple food paired with one egg, a glass of milk or soy milk, and a small amount of vegetables or fruit. For lunch, the ratio of staple food, high-quality protein, and vegetables should be 1:1:2 by volume. Dinner should be similar to lunch, with a light taste, avoiding greasy and gas-producing foods, and eating until 70% full.
It is recommended to drink no less than 1500 milliliters of water daily, preferably warm plain water, and limit sugary drinks and strong coffee. When study time is long during the day, small snacks can be added around 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., such as yogurt or plain nuts, but in small amounts.
“Pre-exam diet should be light, mainly steamed, boiled, stewed, or lightly stir-fried, avoiding fried, braised, and heavily oily or spicy preparations,” the expert said.
Additionally, experts remind students to eat at home or in the school cafeteria during the exam period and pay attention to food hygiene.
