Brain Food For Studying With A Huel Student Discount
- Camila Karalyte
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Written by Camila Karalyte
This is a SB Verified post.
What you need to know about feeding your brain for focus.
There’s no better time to make maximum use of your brain power than when it’s exam season.
Even if you consider yourself to have mastered the art of studying and revising, you might be missing out on a very crucial step. Fuelling your brain.
Your brain needs nourishment to perform its best. And I’m not just talking about eating 3 meals a day. I’m talking about the actual vitamins and foods the brain needs to help ace your exams. The things that make everything work together.
And let’s face it, if the brain is fed and happy, you’ll be happy, which in turn can help improve your motivation to study anyway (and maybe spur you to clean your uni room).
Jump to:
What does a brain need for maximum focus?
Other than great sleep hygiene and self-care to tackle stress, your brain needs proper fuel and nutrients to give you the energy and focus you need.
As a uni student, I know diet isn’t always the most prioritised, and it can be hard to eat healthier when you’re short on time and budget. BUT, it doesn’t have to be difficult — that’s why I'm here to help.
The brain needs a whole load of different vitamins and minerals to stay fired up all day, every day, and if you’re needing more energy or focus, you’ll need some specific vitamins to help give you a boost.
Below is a table of the vitamins and minerals the brain needs and what they’re individually good for:
Vitamin | Good for… | Natural sources |
B-Complex (B12, B6) |
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Omega-3s |
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Iron |
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Magnesium |
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Vitamin D |
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Vitamin C |
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Glucose (slow-release carbs) |
|
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Obviously, a balanced diet, with everything in moderation, is the key to optimal functioning. But if you find yourself struggling with memory or focus during exam season, then making sure you have the above nutrients in your diet during this time may be helpful for you.
Brain food for studying & a Huel student discount
Food, glorious food! What would we do without it, eh?
If you’re in the midst of exam stress, incorporating some brain food throughout your day may help make it easier to manage (and focus).
I wouldn’t recommend getting all your vitamins and nutrients solely from supplements, so I’ve got some examples of the type of things you can eat to get your vitamins naturally.
Banana with peanut butter
Slice up a banana and spoon some peanut butter onto it, voila! A quick brain-boosting study snack.
Why? The healthy fats in the peanut butter helps to stabilise energy and the banana acts as a slow-release carb, which is essential for brain function.
Cottage cheese with fruit
Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it.
Cottage cheese is packed full of protein, which helps to maintain energy levels and keeps you fuller for longer. Adding fruit is a great way to add extra vitamins and a little sweetness to the cheese. A spoonful of jam would also work!
You can also make it more savoury and have the cottage cheese with some cucumbers and carrots, if that’s more your thing.
Huel Daily Greens powder
A handy way to increase your nutrients is to make them drinkable!
Huel’s Daily Greens Supergreens powder is a super handy (and delicious) way of getting in all your vitamins, minerals, and nutrients — great for when you’re too busy with studying.
Just mix a scoop of the powder with water, shake for 10 seconds and it’s good to go!
The Daily Greens powder:
Is 100% vegan
Includes 91 essential vitamins and minerals
Has 0 artificial colours or sweeteners
Is delicious.
Expect ALL the greens in one bottle of Huel’s Daily Greens, including:
Spirulina — high in protein, rich in antioxidants, a source of iron, contains B vitamins
Broccoli — rich in vitamin C, provides fibre and slow energy
Nettle — full of iron, contains vitamins C, A, and magnesium
Chlorella — packed with B vitamins, high in antioxidants, rich in iron
Some of the health benefits include:
Muscle function
Promoting hair, skin, and nail health
Cognitive function
Energy metabolism
Immune support
I have actually tried and tested Huel’s Daily Greens powder and I can confirm the following:
It’s actually tasty, not like most green juices on the market
It’s super easy to make, and will last a while (30 servings per pack)
It saved time; no getting the blender out and barely any washing up
It made me feel good, gave me the boost I needed for working, and I felt refreshed
If you’re after some serious greenage and need a boost for study season, use our Huel student discount for 15% off your online order with a minimum spend of £45. You might also get a free t-shirt and bottle if it’s your first Huel order!
Nuts and trail mix
Nuts are full of healthy fats, magnesium, and omega-3s, all working together to support brain function. Any nuts are good, but try and opt for ones that aren’t sweetened or salted for maximum results.
Trail mix is also a great quick study snack, combining nuts and dried fruit. Buy ready-to-go ones from the supermarket or make your own by mixing together your favourite nuts and fruit.
Blueberries and strawberries
A little fruity snack platter is the perfect study snack to help boost your concentration.
Fresh or frozen berries will work, so consider adding these to your uni food shopping list for regular brain boosting.
Blueberries are packed full of antioxidants which helps support concentration and memory. Toss some into a yoghurt (Greek yoghurt is full of protein to help you focus for longer!) and you’ll have the perfect study snack.
Overnight oats
Overnight oats are a really easy breakfast (or snack) that you can prepare the night before. It really is so simple, just add oats into a jar, add milk (dairy or non-dairy) and mix together before keeping in the fridge overnight.
You can add chia seeds for an omega-3 boost, and sweeten it up with a dash of maple syrup or honey if you’d like. The overnight oats will slowly convert into glucose, keeping your energy and brain function more stable.
Avocado on toast
Avocados are named ‘nature’s butter’ for a reason.
They're smooth, creamy, and delicious, but also very good for you. The healthy fats help support brain cell health and concentration, and you can top it off with an egg for extra protein — making this a great breakfast to start your study day with.
Smash some avocado (or slice if you prefer) and mix in some seasoning — paprika is a solid choice, along with some salt, pepper, even some chilli flakes. Toast your bread to your liking and combine the two, delicious!
Huel Lite Ready-to-drink
When you’re in full-on study mode, you might not want to break it. But, you shouldn’t go hungry.
Huel’s Lite ready-to-drink meal shake is great to have on-the-go and for when you don’t want to break the study flow. The shakes are 100% nutritionally complete light meals that are heavy on nutrition.
The shakes are available in three flavours: chocolate, banana, and strawberry — it’s almost like you’re having a shake from a popular fast-food chain that I can’t mention (but you know which one I mean).
Each bottle contains:
190 calories
26 vitamins and minerals
25g protein
6g fibre
0 artificial colours, flavour, or sweeteners
The shakes are made using natural superfoods like Faba Bean protein (which reduces tiredness and fatigue) and brown rice protein which contributes to the healthy function of cells.
As well as giving you more energised focus for studying, the shakes contribute to giving you a healthy glow, thanks to the biotin and zinc, and contains calcium to maintain gut health. Huel Lite is essentially your sidekick for smashing academic life.
I’m a big fan of anything that skips the fuss, so Huel Lite is a saving grace for those heads-down focus days. I’ve tried all three of the flavours, and my fave? Chocolate by far. It’s honestly like chocolate milk, but good for you.
If you’re not getting enough protein, Huel Lite is for you. And use our Huel student discount for 15% off your order (£45 minimum spend).
Focus and studying tips
Food isn’t the only step for successful studying. There are many things you can do or implement into your routine to help you stay focused for longer.
Some tips include:
Remove distractions: put your phone in another room, study somewhere with minimal distractions
Pomodoro technique: helps you study in short, focused bursts — try 25 minutes of studying, 5 minute break, then repeat 4 times before you take a longer break
Teach the topic to someone else: explaining a concept out loud helps your brain to organise and understand the information more effectively
Write things down: writing as you study helps to improve memory compared to re-reading notes — check out our best revision techniques to help you nail your studying
Change your environment: a change of scenery can help reset your focus
Try background noise: silence isn’t always helpful; try listening to instrumental music, white noise, lo-fi playlists, or ambient study sounds
Pairing good study habits with regular breaks and brain-boosting snacks can help make revision feel a little more manageable — and might even make those long study sessions a bit more productive.
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