Finals week is fast approaching and most likely, the last thing you want to worry about is what to eat. So this week, columnists Shreya Aiyar and Regina Napolitano offer some tips for fast, tasty and sometimes even healthy vegan and vegetarian snacks to tide you over while you cram for your tests, write your papers and feverishly finish your group projects.
BY SHREYA AIYAR
A&E; contributor
The college experience, or at least the academic portion, can sometimes be defined by how many late nights are spent staying up cramming for a final or writing a last-minute essay.
But just because you’re cramming for a test doesn’t mean you have to cram yourself with unhealthy food when it gets late. There’s still hope, and it comes in the form of vegan study snacks.
In my personal experience, I can predict when my energy from dinner will run out. My brain requires an unusually large amount of fuel after 1 a.m., but I’m usually stuck with only a large chocolate bar for company until I finish my homework for the night.
This is not a situation I’d want to be stuck in for more than two nights in a row, so I present to you a couple of alternatives to sugary, fatty and high-calorie snacks.
Low in calories, air-popped popcorn is a good choice when you’re craving something crunchy, and it’s also easily customizable: just sprinkle on some herbs or cinnamon for a wholesome treat.
Apple slices dipped in peanut butter are another healthy and filling snack. Apples are easy to get from the many dining halls on the Hill – just grab one on your way out. Even though it’s known for being high in fat, peanut butter is a great source of protein, and the fat won’t hurt unless you’re trying to eat the entire jar. A spoonful of peanut butter on top of an apple slice will keep you full, alert and ready to study for an intimidating exam.
However, if all you have on hand is a large chocolate bar or a bag of potato chips, grab some soy milk, hummus or something similar that’s high in protein. It’s always good to offset the sugar with a relatively nutritious drink or snack to tide you over until the morning. You can also have fun experimenting with dipping potato chips into hummus and telling your friends about the cool new food combination you discovered last night in the middle of proofreading your essay.
Snacking during a homework session is completely normal, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to being unhealthy. Your brain requires more energy during intense studying, so make sure to nourish it with low-calorie, protein-rich foods in preparation for finals.
By REGINA NAPOLITANO
A&E; Contributor
rnapolitano@media.ucla.edu
Once you give up any attempt to eat something healthy you can have a little more fun with your snacks.
And what’s more fun and comforting than a cake you can microwave when you have the urge to bang your head against your laptop because you think you will never finish your 10-page paper?
However, while mug cakes, so-called because they are cakes you can make in a mug and cook in a microwave, are trendy and appealing they’re also a bit tricky to make.
I learned while trying out various recipes that these microwaveable cakes can easily end up dense and unpalatable. Luckily, when all hope seemed lost, I took a chocolate cake out of the microwave that tasted like a gooey brownie, but unlike actual brownies, took about 5 minutes to make.
It seems like the best way to avoid disaster when making microwaveable cakes is to avoid eggs. Previous egg-laden attempts had the texture of Yorkshire pudding, but the recipe attached to this column is tasty, actually resembles cake and is completely vegan.
If you don’t feel up to the challenge of microwave baking, try microwaveable nachos. With enough additional toppings, nachos can easily get you through the worst of times.
The trick is to add a mountain of cheddar cheese. If you’re vegan, you can replace cheddar with daiya cheese, but I would suggest you simply leave out the vegan cheese because daiya doesn’t melt well in the microwave. Instead, add guacamole, hot sauce, some vegan sour cream, some canned vegetarian refried beans and maybe even some Sriracha sauce. Then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, because even if there is no cheese to melt, eating something warm can only improve your mood.
These gloriously unhealthy snacks will hopefully provide the comfort that only chocolate, cheese and salt can give through the rough weeks ahead.
Vegan Microwavable Chocolate Cake
While you could make this cake in a mug, I suggest you use a medium sized bowl because mug sizes vary.
1 tbsp and 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp and 2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp soy or almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1) Mix all dry ingredients well in the medium sized bowl.
2) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix again.
3) Microwave for 30 seconds. Microwave for an additional 15 seconds if the cake is still not cooked.
4) Remove cake and enjoy!