Soon, University of Saskatchewan students will be thrown into final exams season. This is a place where anything goes — into your stomach, that is.

Often, students couple studying and snacking simply because it’s so convenient. Since we’re human, however, we can sometimes overdo it or munch on the wrong types of snacks.

Thankfully, the world of mankind has been blessed by the presence of gods, specifically the Goddess of Snacks. Hailing from the University of Alberta, this dietetic intern — a good friend of mine — has put together sweet and salty mixtures that are truly celestial.

The appointed Goddess of Snacks has been an expert on snacking in my eyes for a few years now, so naturally she was consulted on this matter.

Typically on campus, there seems to be three main student narratives when it comes to food: the extremely busy student, the broke student and the unmotivated student. With this in mind, the Goddess of Snacks has a host of delicious healthy snacks that satisfy each of these types.

For the student who feels that there is never enough time in a day, or for the person who doesn’t feel like studying or perhaps for the student who seldom has quality alone time — try taking an hour or so at the beginning of your week to pack a few snacks. Items that are easily transported and require no re-heating score extra points.

Those who plan can really get creative when it comes to foods and snacks, as the prep time is already done so eating can happen as soon as hunger hits. Our favorite study snacks for this type of student are simple: leftovers turned into interesting sandwiches or wraps can be fast and travel well. Additionally, fresh fruits or vegetables and snack sized tuna cans are portable and under-rated.

We all know that one person who is a penny pincher. To cure this, we suggest studying with snacks that give the most bang for your buck. Some wallet-friendly basics are air popped popcorn, chickpeas and plain yogurt. The Goddess of Snacks suggests yogurt dips for fruits, spiced and roasted chickpeas or homemade hummus as affordable and tasty alternatives.

Popcorn is arguably the Goddess’s favorite snack. She has tried everything to dress up her popcorn, and her favorite flavor combos include salt and vinegar and dill and vinegar. As a sweeter option, the Goddess suggests adding whipped peanut butter. Mixing flavors of popcorn can be seen as an art form, and our dietetic snack Goddess encourages it.

Becoming the unmotivated academic seems inevitable for most students. Luckily, the Goddess of Snacks has the ability to boost motivational motility with the power of good snacks. This type of student should ideally shake up their traditional flavors. Spiced almonds and cashews are a good twist on a simple snack. Going to the bulk section to create your own trail mix can be a fun endeavoukr. A goddess favorite: fruits rolled into a whole-wheat wrap with peanut butter sliced into sushi-like rolls.

Snacking is important for academic success but the Goddess of Snacks warns that students need to find additional ways to cope with stress, and states that mindless eating while studying can get very out of control if a person thinks it’s “healthy.” The answer to this problem is to try and control your portion size. Pre-measuring or portioning foods can combat over-consumption.

Lets face it: we’re busy people. Our time is consumed by studying, crying, not showering and sleeping. We can multitask so well we should be paid. Despite our superpowers, we are also hungry humans. Learning is hard work. All these things take energy and we need to constantly re-fuel to be able to keep up.

Sticking to these tips from the Goddess of Snacks can help us stay on track with our energy, but ultimately the achievement of studying is up to us. Good luck snackers!

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Bronwyn Chhay

Graphic: Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor