As students gear up for their examinations, maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet becomes essential for both memory and performance, said Dharini Krishnan.
Highlighting the importance of proper nutrition, she said that a good balanced diet is necessary at all times in life, especially during exams.
“Students currently have a trend of studying late in the night. They should take healthy snacks such as nuts, seeds, or fruits if needed,” she said.
“When students are taking their exams, they need to eat properly so that they can write well and remember what they have studied. Breakfast should be taken before they leave for the exams. It should contain some grains and dals. Idly or dosa with sambhar is a good combination to take before the exams,” she advised.
She added that proteins not only help students feel full and prevent hunger during the exam but also support memory and immunity, helping to prevent infections.
Emphasising the importance of eating on time despite late-night study schedules, she said, “Eating on time is prime. If we skip a meal, we tend to snack on foods which are not healthy.”
Breakfast, she suggested, should be taken before 9 am, lunch before 2 pm, and dinner before 8 pm.
“Breakfast should contain grains and dals or grains and eggs. Lunch and dinner should have grains, dal, vegetables, and curd. Grains could be rice, rava, semia, oats, millets, or wheat. Protein foods can be dal, sambhar, sundal, sprouts, cheese, paneer, egg, fish, or chicken,” she said.
According to her, vegetables should be colourful—green, yellow, orange, or red as they are healthier.
“Fruits, nuts, and seeds can be taken as snacks in between meals. Once we have timely meals, snacking will come down and more nutrition will be there in our diet,” she added.
- Dharini Krishnan
Consultant Dietitian, Chennai
Former National President of Indian Dietetic Association
