High Energy Breakfast Foods To Eat Before Exam

A brain healthy diet is a must to keep your child's brain functioning at high levels, especially during the exam season. Giving your child the best breakfast before exam would keep his mental energy level high and help him do better. Here are a few high-energy breakfast recipes you can use to prepare the best morning meal for your child.

List of brain food breakfast to have before exam

Fruit and nut milkshake (Makes 3 glasses)

Ingredients:

• Milk: 400 mL
• Sugar: 6-8 tsp
• Banana: 1 large
• Strawberry: 200g
• Sapota: 1 medium
• Badam: 10 (soaked and peeled)
• Walnuts: 1 tbsp

Method:

• Blend the nuts along with 2 tbsp milk to a fine paste and strain if desired.
• Blend remaining milk with fruits and sugar.
• Add in the nuts paste to the above mixture and stir.

Serve chilled.

Note: Banana has the highest amount of digestible carbohydrates which makes it a great breakfast option! Research shows that nuts are 'brain foods'.

Chinese style stir-fried poha (Serves 3)

Ingredients:

• Beaten rice/aval/poha: 200g
• Cabbage: 3 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Carrot: 3 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Spring onions: 5 tbsp (finely chopped along with the green stem)
• Spinach: 3 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Capsicum (all colours): 3 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Garlic: 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Chilly flakes: 1 tsp
• Soy sauce: 1 tsp
• Pepper: tsp
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Oil: 2 tsp

Method:

• Soak poha in tsp soy sauce and required amount of water for half an hour. Strain and keep aside.
• Heat 2 tsp oil. Saute garlic for a minute. Add capsicum, cabbage, carrots, spinach and spring onions, one at a time, and stir-fry with tsp soy sauce, salt and sugar on a high flame for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the poha. Add chilly flakes and pepper.
• Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.

Note: Beaten rice or poha is fat, cholesterol and sodium-free. In addition, it is a great source of 11 essential vitamins and minerals, particularly iron.

Oats, fig and date bars (Makes 30 bars)

Ingredients:

• Flour: 90g
• Baking soda: tsp
• Salt: tsp
• Cinnamon powder: tsp
• Butter: 110g
• Brown sugar: 100g
• Castor sugar: 40g
• Egg: 1
• Dates and figs: 50g (finely chopped)
• Instant oats: 130g
• Vanilla essence: tsp

Method:

• Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon powder and keep aside.
• Cream the butter and sugars till light and fluffy. Add in the egg and essence and beat the mixture.
• Add the sifted flour, oats and dry fruits, and mix till a dough consistency is reached.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and place in refrigerator for half an hour.
• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Shape the dough into rectangular bars (approx 3?1 inch each), place on baking paper and bake for 15-17 minutes at 180C or till brown.
• Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack before storing them in an air-tight container.

Note: Oats is an excellent breakfast option as it is high in dietary fibre which make one feel full faster and for longer.

Protein patty and brown bread sandwich (Makes 5 patties)

Ingredients:

• Sprouts: 200g
• Sweet corn kernels: 2 tbsp
• Oregano: 3 tsp
• Cornflour: 1 tsp
• Chilly flakes: 1 tsp
• Breadcrumbs: 5 tbsp
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: to shallow fry

Method:

• Pressure cook the corn and sprouts till well done. Add salt, cornflour and spices and knead into a thick dough.
• Shape into large patties and coat with breadcrumbs.
• Place in the refrigerator for half an hour.
• Remove and shallow fry with little oil on a tawa till golden brown on both sides.

To assemble:

• Toast 2 slices of brown bread.
• Place slices of cucumber, tomato and lettuce along with the protein patty between the slices and serve warm.

Note: Sprouts are considered wonder foods. Extra intake of protein at breakfast has been shown to promote "greater initial and sustained fullness throughout the day."

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About the author:

Written by Rashmee Ramkumar on 16 November 2016. 

Rashmee Ramkumar is a Chennai-based nutritionist who runs her own baking enterprise 'Snow Frosting'.