Follow a proper diet plan during exams: Nutritionists

Board exam anxiety lead students to either eat too much or lose their appetite completely. Hence, during the exam time, a well charted out study plan is not all you need to be concerned about. A properly designed diet plan also helps to keep one up and alert, believe dietitians.

Students, with the high level of stress and a haywire schedule during the exams, need to be especially careful about their diet and nutrition. Nutritionists suggest taking in the right amounts of calories, protein and many other important constituents of food. They also say one should avoid heavy, greasy food during examination period.

"Students must ensure they get sufficient calories, proteins and all micronutrients. They should make an effort to have adequate amount of water so that they don't get dehydrated as most exams take place during summertime," advised city-based nutritionist A N Radha. She also suggests including pro biotic foods like curd and buttermilk as they help the functioning of the digestive system and alert brains.

It is not just tradition or its cooling properties that make curd an essential food for kids during exams. Being rich in potassium, curd taken with jeera powder can help reduce blood pressure, too," informed dietitian Anju Mahurkar. "Vitamin D is also important and can be consumed in the form of tablets or fermented and sprouted food. Another brain food is milk with gulkand or kesar. The food during examinations should largely be satvik," she suggested.

"Studying at odd hours mostly leads to munching on crispies. Instead kids could opt for fruits like grapes or juices when burning the midnight lamp. Ideally, their food must be rich in protein and low on calories and carbohydrates, as such foodstuffs can induce lethargy and also cause them to fall sick," suggested nutritionist Divya Thakkar. Some options that she thought could be considered were milk, boiled eggs, moong or ragi chila, sprouts, oat or wheat flakes among others.

Dietitian Kavita Bakshi also said nuts like almonds and walnuts that are good for brain should be included in the diet. "Constantly sipping on aerated drinks or beverages should be avoided as it creates acidity. Another thing that should be avoided is having long gaps between meals. Children should be made to eat well and on proper times," she stressed.

Dietitian Rekha Khandwani said that the gap between two meals shouldn't be more than four or five hours. "One could consider starting the day with a glass of lemon water. Fruits and green leafy vegetables should form a big part of the diet. Dinner should be a light meal, preferably without rice," she added.

The diet plan:

Include proteins, while avoiding carbohydrates and fats

Make healthier choices when choosing munchies

Stay well hydrated

Consume a lot of fruits and juices in the diet

Eat well; don't starve yourself

Instead of big meals, take small portions at regular periods not more than four hours apart

Have more curd and buttermilk

Have a lot of milk, mixed with nuts, gulkand, or kesar

Include iron-rich green leafy vegetables in the diet

Avoid junk food and too many sweets