Get exam-ready with our helpful tips and recipe ideas!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? But on exam days, breakfast plays an even more important role – a warm bowl of creamy oats delivers slow-release energy to keep students going, helping them feel fuller for longer. With that in mind, we’ve pulled together some helpful tips, advice and recipe ideas to help get your body and mind in great shape for the exam period ahead.

Best of luck to everyone sitting their exams, from All the team at Flahavan’s!

TIPS & ADVICE TO GET YOU PREPARED AND EXAM-READY

  1. Don’t skip meals, particularly breakfast

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast not only helps you fuel your body in the right way, it also helps make you feel mentally prepared for the challenges ahead.

Oats are high in complex carbohydrates and fibre, which means theyNectarine porridge release energy slowly. A bowl of creamy porridge can help provide all the energy that’s needed to get you to lunchtime or through an exam. The slow-releasing complex carbohydrates in oats sustain energy levels and allows full concentration levels to be maintained. One serving of oats contains around 1.4mg of iron – 10% of RDI. Iron can help to reduce fatigue, boost immunity and improve concentration, which is why it is so beneficial to eat oats while studying and doing exams.

  1. Time is precious – choose quick and healthy meals

Be clever about how you utilise your time during this period – shop in advance and ensure you have an array of healthy fresh, chilled and ambient products in your kitchen, so that you can make quick and healthy meals in minutes.  Adding  seeds, nuts and fresh fruit to your morning bowl of porridge is a great idea during exam times, for example, because berries are high in antioxidants and full of vitamins, so they can contribute to a healthy immune system.  Want to mix it up at breakfast time?  Then have a batch of oaty pancakes pre-made and chilled, ready to cook in minutes.  Top with super-fruit blueberries for even more healthy vitamins!

  1. Smart snacking

Try to avoid the temptation of relying on sugar “hits” during this period as your energy levels will fluctuate and leave you craving more.   Think smart about the way you snack and try to choose healthier options in between meals to maintain your energy and concentration.

Oats are not only great for breakfast time, but can also be eaten during the day as a healthy snack – try out some of our recipes for Energy balls, Oaty Muffins or Overnight Oats and prepare healthy snacks ahead of time.

       4. Keep hydrated

Your body needs water and you need your body, so aim for 1.5 to 2L of water per day to keep hydrated and feeling healthy

  1. Fresh Air & Exercise 

It’s tempting to spend every available hour at your desk during exam periods, but a brisk walk in the fresh air at regular intervals can really help manage your stress levels.  Doing exercise is a great way to relax, as it causes the release of endorphins and improves your mood – it also gives your brain some time to switch off and process the information you’ve been studying.

  1. Make time for sleep

One of the most important things you can schedule during your exam period is sleep.  Avoid using smartphones before bed if at all possible and aim for 7-8 hours of good quality sleep per night – going to bed and waking at regular times to keep your body in a healthy routine.

  1. Believe in yourself

This isn’t so much a tip, as a gentle word of encouragement.  You’ve got this – believe in the work you’ve done for the many months leading up to this point; believe in all the lessons you’ve attended and the great teachers who guided you…but most of all believe in yourself.  No matter what happens today or during this exam, things will be okay.  We’ve been around quite a while now, so we know a thing or two 😉

Get exam ready with these delicious breakfast and snack-time recipes!

Flahavan's Oats Illustration