Academic journey of every child’s life is full of tests and examinations which come up after every few months. Exams are an inevitable part of any school going children which are also a reason for a lot of stress on them as well as for parents. Academic success is given a very high place in our society, along with the rising expectations, fear and stress in children. Hence, it is your responsibility to make sure that your kids get a nourishing and supportive daily diet during this time. This article is all about why the diet during exams needs to be given extra care and what should it include?

Introduction

Examinations bring the stress and anxiety for parents, teachers and especially for children. Hectic and long studying schedules leading to sleepless nights along with the pressure to score good marks can make your child stressed and fearful. In this condition, if the eating habits of your child are not healthy and nutritious, it can take a toll on their health. Food plays a vital role in any condition and during any stressful condition it is more important that the food should be more nutritious and healthy. Food is an important part of the long planning you make for your kid’s exams schedules. Junk food is always loved by children but if your kid is having it during exams, it can lead to unwanted weight gain and even stomach troubles. Giving them healthy and nutritious food is necessary to ensure their physical and mental health.

Eating healthy not only maintains their physical fitness but also boosts memory and enhances immunity. This will prevent them from falling sick which usually happens just before or during exams due to a lot of stress and low immunity. If your kid takes nutritious food, it will help in increasing the memory power so that they can grab the things faster and prepare for exams more appropriately. Let’s have a glimpse of certain dietary tips which can help your kid to maintain a healthy diet routine to achieve the best possible score in exams. This will include not only specific foods but also the routine which you should follow.

1. Breakfast - Breakfast is a must for all of us but for your kid, it is more vital as it helps in concentrating better, and prevents nervousness. Your kid’s breakfast should consist of protein and grains that should be easy to eat like the meals with simple recipes. It can be oatmeal with milk, cereal mix with milk or buns. These things will not make them lethargic and also consume less time to be taken.

2. Complex Carbohydrates - Try to include more and more complex carbohydrates in your child’s diet as these get digested slowly, releasing sustained and slow energy keeping your kid active and alert for a long time. You can give them complex carbohydrates in the form of khichadi, rice, chapati, poha, dosa, idli, etc.

3. Proteins - Proteins are necessary anyway but during exams they help children in being satiated for longer time as they break slowly and play a major role in their development. Give your kid protein in the form of eggs, milk, curd, cheese, fatty fish and paneer (cottage cheese).

4. Foods to Avoid - There are certain foods which you need to keep at bay from your kid as they make the children sluggish, and inactive, disturb the metabolic cycle and lead to weight gain.

  • Sugar and maida should be avoided which causes a sudden spike and then low making the kid hungry soon after eating. 
  • Fatty and fried food should be avoided as they lead to weight gain.
  • Caffeinated drinks should be avoided or be limited. Usually students consume coffee and tea to stay awake and alert at night for studying not knowing that these drinks in long term disturbs their sleeping pattern leading to insomnia and other sleeping issues.
  • Eating out should be avoided before and during exams as it increases the chances of infections and your kid might fall sick which is obviously unaffordable during examinations.

5. Snacking / Mid Meal Foods - Munching or snacking between meals and during night study is important in order to provide energy to your kid’s body. But, these munching snacks should be selected cautiously because giving them processed food like cookies, biscuits, chips, cakes or edibles containing refined sugar, vegetable oils and preservatives can lead to unwanted weight gain and sluggishness in the body. Instead give them healthy snacks like roasted pulses or chana with gud (jaggery), yogurt, khakra, fruits, salad, seeds, soups, buttermilk, smoothies, dhokla, etc.

6. Brain Foods - There are certain brain foods which specifically should be included in your child’s diet during exam time as they help their brain to cope up with extra stress and maintain regular supply of energy to the brain.

  • Nuts and seeds like sesame, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts and brazil nuts.
  • Sage, rosemary, ginger, and basil as they enhances brain function.
  • Shrimps, prawns and shellfish for providing zinc.
  • Oily fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, herrings or pilchards for essential fatty acids.
  • Fresh green vegetables and fruits for folic acid, vitamin A and C.

7. Water - It is vital to life also staying hydrated makes your child active. You must make sure that your child gulps enough water throughout the day. Make your child’s habit, to drink water at small intervals of time. You can also keep a water bottle beside him/her so that they do not forget about it. You can also add some variety by giving them coconut water or lime water.

8. Smaller Meals - Try to keep the meals of your child small and repeat at regular intervals. Taking small meals at regular intervals help in keeping their weight in control as well as keep them energized. If your child takes a large meal at a time, it can make him feel bloated, lethargic and low at energy. This is also because the physical activity of your child is almost nil during exams because of continuous sitting at one place for studying. Hence, taking small meals at regular intervals will help them a lot.

9. More Fibre - Due to stress, anxiety and decreased physical activity it is common for your children to feel constipated or have indigestion. Taking a good amount of fibre in diet will help in clearing their bowels daily and prevent constipation. Fibre also keeps the good bacteria of their intestines active and prevents thriving of bad ones in there.

10. Minerals and Vitamins - It is necessary that the diet your child is taking, should be full of essential nutrients including certain vitamins and minerals. These are necessary for maintaining your child’s health as well as their growth & development. Minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and iron are must for your child as they support healthy functioning of the body.

Conclusion

During the stressful period of examinations, the tips given above will help your child to get the required nutrition as well as relaxation. Healthy meals and snacks for your Child is your responsibility, hence you must buck up yourself during the exam time to take extra efforts in order to ensure your kid’s health and better performance.