Spring is here, and I can already smell BBQ on the grill, and taste the refreshing mojito I make out of my mom’s own fresh mint. I am really looking forward to the summer, and a break from all the stress and pressures that go along with school. First though, we must all get through finals week.

I’ve always hated finals week, because you’ve worked so hard the entire year, but no matter how great you did the rest of the semester, you could ruin everything your last week. That is completely horrendous! Well, there is only one way for me to get through finals week and that is fuel. I’m talking delicious food that gives me energy and the spirit to go forth and conquer!

It is easy to fall into eating anything and everything during finals week. I even hear about people bribing themselves with cake and candy to make themselves do their research project. However, I can guarantee healthy snacks will be the way to survive this week of hell.

My main snacks this week will be loaded salads, healthy yogurt parfait, and maybe some chocolate covered frozen bananas for a bit of sugar buzz to get me through those last few pages I have to write at two in the morning.

For the loaded salads, I top mine with some plain tuna fish, hard-boiled eggs, grilled veggies, and some feta cheese. The key to this salad is the lean protein, which will give you energy and fill you up without a lot of added fats. You could also use grilled chicken, or salmon.

For the yogurt parfait, use a Greek yogurt, skyr, or regular yogurt and add your favorite fruit, and either some nuts or granola. This is my partner’s everyday breakfast, and it fills you for a long time. The chocolate covered bananas that I get are actually dark chocolate covered frozen bananas, by the brand Diana’s Bananas. They are only 130 calories, and are really delicious. I’m not even a huge fan of bananas, but when they are frozen, it’s like ice cream. These foods are totally reliable, and seriously the way to go!

Since this is my last column of the year as a sophomore, I did want to just say thank you to all for reading my column. This really has been such a learning experience for me, to write about food. It has been so positive to hear from my readers, and to force myself to try new recipes and new restaurants. This summer I hope to start my own website so you all can get new recipes and reviews all week long, and to also start doing cooking videos that I will post on Youtube.

If you have any questions, or want to be notified this summer when the sites are up and ready, please email me at opbeals@gmail.com. This really has been a dream come true. Food is my passion, and I hope I inspired some of you to journey into the world of cooking. Thank you, all!