Well it’s time for final exams in my world, so for the next 7 days or so I am going to be busy, busy, busy.  I need food to power my brain and body that will keep me stress free and my blood-sugar stabilized.  I know that I sometimes have the tendency to want to snack on comfort foods that contain sugar and fats when I am under stress, but this time I want to make sure I have clean-burning fuel that won’t leave me frazzled when finals are over.

I just went to the store to stock my fridge and pantry with super nutritious food that will be a snap to prepare.  Here are the top ten things I’m eating this week:

10.) My go-to quick food these days, turkey nori roll-ups.  Someday I will do a blog post on the many possible variations of this snack.

9.) Amy’s Low Sodium soups. If I am going to resort to canned soup, it will probably be this one. Look for the cans that specify low sodium.

8.) Sea Tangle Kelp Noodle stir fry with veggies. The noodles don’t require boiling, so you basically just throw them in your stir-fry. Plus seaweed has lots of great minerals and virtually no calories (I think a serving of noodles has 5 calories!).

7.) A variety of beans and grains (I’m thinking millet, red quinoa or brown rice with black eyed peas, lentils or adzuki beans)

6.) If I need an “energy bar” to snack on between classes, I picked up a Nutiva Hemp & Flax bar.

5.) Chopped leafy greens.  Pre-chop them, keep them in the fridge, and throw them in anything.  I got some collards and kale.

4.) Smoothies made with rice protein powder (or any protein powder you like), organic frozen berries and hazelnut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk).

3.) Previously frozen foods.  When you make soup or a big pot of something, always freeze a few servings if you can.  You will thank yourself later.  This week I will be eating leftover turkey and rice soup that I made after Thanksgiving.

2.) Baked chicken breast.  Just keep it in the fridge and add to meals where you need some extra protein.

1.) Baked or steamed sweet potatoes.  Add them to any dish or eat as a side for a great source of slow burning, low-glycemic carbs.

Photo by Dave Lifson