• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MsMarmiteLover

  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
  • Travel
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • UK
  • Wine
  • Gardens
  • Supperclubs/Events
  • About
    • Published Articles
    • Books
  • Shop
    • Cart

Exam time revision snacks

June 8, 2012 11 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized

Lucky Stick chocolate biscuits

Marmite on olive bread toast with tahini, alfalfa and cucumber

Apple slices, halloumi strips, pistachios
At school I was terrified of exams, really cripplingly nervous, to the point that I gave up. I spent my o’ level revision time enjoying the sunshine and getting a great tan. Actually the ‘giving up’ phase was important, it took the pressure off, made me realise it wasn’t the end of the world when I failed. After that exams were easy; relaxation, counter-intuitively, can help you focus. From then on, I learnt to use every revision minute effectively. I made lists on index cards which I taped to the wall next to the toilet. I got friends to grill me on facts. I’d ram all the information into my brain in quick time. Of course, this is no way to learn. Like a tan, the more rapidly you acquire it, the quicker you lose it. But it worked for exams.

Around this time every 16 to 18 year old in the country is sat, eyes glazed, at a desk, or, more likely, in bed with a laptop, revising for exams. My daughter has Politics A2 level on Monday and her teacher has been ill for the last term. She’s been tearful, snappish, at times despairing. As a parent, you feel helpless. I’m doing my best, between my own work, to learn all of the Supreme Court decisions over the last century: Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona (from whence come the ‘Miranda’ rights so often heard on US cop shows). So I’m learning something too while I test her.
All we can do is support them, emotionally and practically. Regular cups of tea and coffee to keep them alert and of course, revision snacks which are remarkably similar to cocktail party food. In an effort to get your teen eating healthy brain food, you end up resorting to the tricks you used when they were toddlers, cutting fruit and vegetables in cheerful shapes and putting smiley faces on dips.
Revision snack suggestions:
Hummus dip with pitta bread/rice cakes/oat cakes
Nuts
Seed mixes: I dry roast sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, hemp, sesame seeds with soy sauce and rub in some toasted seaweed flakes (sushi sheets).
Raisins, dried fruit such as apricots for iron or dried mango slices, chocolate raisins
Fresh fruit, cut up (banana slices) or easy to pop in mouth fruit such as strawberries, grapes, or blueberries
Same with vegetables: cut up slices of avocado, carrot batons, cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes.
Cheese slices, cubes
Olives
Popcorn (plain or salt), pretzels, bread sticks
Dry cereal
Teeny sandwiches (with smoked salmon in, oily fish is good for you)
Sardines on toast, again, oily fish is brain food
Marmite on toast
Banana sandwiches
Chocolate biscuits

Drinks:
Tea
Coffee
Water
Yoghurt smoothies: fresh fruit, ice, banana in a blender with a large spoonful of honey or agave syrup.
Chocolate soya milk drinks
Fruit juice as opposed to squash
If you are going to have Red Bull, make it one a day max.

If you are going through exams, or if your kids are, what do you feed them? Do you attempt to stick to healthy food or just plough into the crisps and sweets?

Cucumber ‘stars’, carrot batons, cashews, yoghurt with yuzu paste dip.

 Jaffa cakes and Reeses peanut butter cup

 Mini cheese platter

 Quails eggs noughts and crosses with garlic aoli

Blueberries, bananas, hazelnuts

Recent posts

Queens of Kelp, from the Outer Hebrides

June 4, 2023

midsummer supper club June 17th 2023 Msmarmitelover

My next supper club: midsummer June 17th

May 28, 2023

I organised a street party for the Coronation

May 10, 2023

Previous Post: « Summer dresses inspired by the garden
Next Post: Secret Tea Cup in Yorkshire »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. chumbles

    June 8, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    I feel so sorry for the teen. Last December I took my first exam for 37 years and I was astonished how all my fears returned. I passed (first class), but I hated doing the exam. Learning is fine, but the bit at the end where you do the trained poodle isn't. So true that it isn't the end of the world if you fail…

    Reply
  2. theundergroundrestaurant

    June 8, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Nice to hear from you again, chumbles, I've been wondering what you've been up to.
    You do need some exams but I think our kids are over tested. It's not learning.

    Reply
  3. Mark Willis

    June 9, 2012 at 6:06 am

    The Marmite on Olive Bread photo makes the dish look superb (and I mean both the edible bit and the plate itself)! Almost seems a shame to eat it… almost.

    Reply
  4. Mrs King

    June 9, 2012 at 8:49 am

    What a lovely mum you are – perfect food for anyone feeling stressed, when it is so easy not to eat anything good. Taking notes for the days my two take exams.

    Reply
  5. The Curious Cat

    June 11, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    Not only are you a good cook, you're a good mum! 🙂 Sorry I haven't been attentive lately – been so busy! Got a job in Spain now for October and I hosted my own little buffet – you would have been proud…except we made waaaaaaay too much food! xxx

    Reply
  6. London Corporate Cooking

    June 15, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    Since my own wee lassies are only four and 2 years old I have never really given much thought yet too revision snacks. But I guess when my time comes I will be serving lots of brain food, that is, snacks and meals consisting of nuts and seeds, avocado, and fatty fish. But yours look absolutely scrummy. Your daughter is very lucky!

    Reply
  7. GG

    June 17, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Its really difficult seeing them go through the stress of exams, but it is just the gateway to the next stage whatever that might be. Love the revision snacks, the youngest Glam Teen has just finished his ASs but I'm sure he'd appreciate the dips snacks and cakes anytime. GG

    Reply
  8. مطبخنا

    June 18, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    thanks alot very much

    Reply
  9. Liz Woods

    June 26, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Gosh I remember that time so well, I had a bizarre daily programme, going to bed when I got home from school, revising until 9, getting up for an hour, going back, revising from 5am.. My Mum's idea of support was tea and buttered toast and suggesting I gave it all up and went to work in a bank…I reminded her of this when doing my master's degree years later…so good luck to all and if the snacks are anything to go by she'll get top marks!

    Reply
  10. canalcook

    June 26, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Some very useful suggestions. I'm also facing into law exams, though not until September, but will definitely be dipping back into this for inspiration!

    Reply
  11. Ron Rogers

    June 17, 2017 at 5:01 am

    Some very useful suggestions. I'm also facing into law exams, though not until September, but will definitely be dipping back into this for inspiration!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

Subscribe to my mailing list

msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
My next supper club 17th June london tickets £50 My next supper club 17th June london tickets £50 BYO book here: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th #london #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer
For tonight’s event I had to push the boundaries For tonight’s event I had to push the boundaries. Here is how to prepare goose neck barnacles or percebes which are a very expensive and rare delicacy, hunted down from cliffs. It’s quite dangerous to forage them. #canapes #eventcatering #satanicfood #percebes #grossfood #seafood #devilsfood
Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here h Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th at London’s pioneering supper club. Tickets £50 BYO. Scandinavian inspired summery food. #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer #northwestlondon #londonevents #popups
Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy cir Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy circa 1987 pic: kerstin Rodgers #rip #tinaturner #rockphotographer #kerstinrodgers #teenagephotographer
Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on war photography in the Ukraine . Go to the exhibition @thebppa @thebargehouse in SE1 last few days 
Had to stop filming cos I was told off. The photographers would be less forthcoming if they were filmed I was told. 
Anyway @frenchpete_1 should be followed by a camera crew cos he’s a star.
For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pas For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pastry quiche and a little one with less blue cheese & no salt for my 7 month old granddaughter. She absolutely loved it. I’m enjoying seeing her experience and explore new foods with baby led weaning. Avocado, strawberries, kiwi & buttered crumpets are a hit. Pasta less so. Who is this child? Are we even related? #babyledweaning #quiche #homemadepuffpastry
Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The natio Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The national newspaper again. These are the stories I love to do: I go off on an adventure, take my time, interview people (especially women), photograph them in their environment and create recipes on site. This story cost me a lot more than I made as I had an accident and lost my excess. My own damn fault though! Loved loved loved having a campervan. Thanks for lending me it @camperdays.international and sorry about the hole in the side.  https://www.thenational.scot/news/23505593.foraging-seaweed-western-isles/
My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @l My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @lk.general.building left yesterday. They’ve been working since January. I had the awning installed, the encaustic Minton tiles removed and put back with green grout. The terrace was causing damp so this had to be done. My calamondin plant is looking lovely. The benches which I repaired with hard wood & I repainted using a mix of 2 colours. The marble table I bought in Suffolk at a car boot. Everything is still dusty & I’m waiting for the window cleaner to arrive.
Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine f Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine for their contribution of these beautiful dry ciders for the coronation street lunch. Gorgeously illustrated labels. #stcuthbertsrd #kilburn #london #cider #artisanaldrinks
When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. It’s smoother. Artisanal distillery @devoncovevodka contributed some bottles to my coronation lunch which gave everyone a feeling of being at a classy party. Thanks so much. And also @rawfoodanddrink for arranging. If you want to read my blog post about how and why I organised this event, copy and paste this link: https://t.co/GWNNW2XKba #coronationstreetparty #biglunch #community #kilburn #london #forthepeoplebythepeople
I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now. They sent a selection: elderflower bubbly, st. Clements orange 🍊 Sicilian lemonade, @belvoirfarm_uk lemonade, which were all delicious and just the tickets for the fortuitous mini-heatwave that occurred on the Sunday coronation lunch. #thankyou #community #coronation #streetparty #biglunch
Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! T Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! Tiny bit in the guardian. Decent pic in the Mail and The Star credit @asproider #coronationlunch #kilburn #stcuthbertsrd #kingscroftrd #fordwychrd #templarhouse
My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, s My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, spinach, cheddar. I used crème fraiche and blind baked puff pastry shells. I was up at 11 last night making these for todays street party, which featured in the mail, telegraph, mirror, metro courtesy of photographer Gavin Rodgers @asproider
Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebr Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebrides with @outerhebrideanforager Fi bird. She’s cutting sea spaghetti. I drove my campervan @camperdays.international from london to the Hebrides- using my gas stove to cook foraged and local ingredients. A real food safari. With the sea spaghetti I made a sea spag vongole with giant parlourdes picked up from the sand at the same time. Great fun, beautiful weather and, the day of the full moon, a wonderfully low tide. This was on south Uist.
More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-ba More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-based version of the original. Beautifully constructed, designed and written by @nikisegnit it’s vegetarian rather than vegan but recommended for both. She widens the sensory vocabulary around plant flavours in this book- encouraging new delicious sounding combinations. Now she includes new categories such as flower & meadow, caramel roasted, zesty roost- just the words make me salivate. #foodbooks #bookstagram #newbooks
Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainman Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainmansion I found out so much about marmalade. I’m going to make it this winter. I found out the worlds best maker is Japanese, in fact I was most impressed by the Japanese marmalades in general. Everyone wore orange. I must have tasted 50 marmalades. I met Paddington’s sister, karen jankel who is michael bond’s daughter, born in the same year as Paddington. She gave a charming talk on Paddington, mentioning how the queen insisted on having real marmalade sandwiches in her @launerlondonofficial handbag during the shoot. The house itself is Tudor and Georgian. I stayed in my campervan from @camperdays.international in the car park, cosy in the rain. Another freewheeling adventure. #yorkshire #marmalade #travel #food #ontheroad #campervan
I had a piece in @thetimes on Sunday about being a I had a piece in @thetimes on Sunday about being a vegetarian rather than a vegan. How I still need butter. And how restaurants & plane meals are now vegan rather than vegetarian. But, there are still more the double amount of vegetarians as vegans in the UK. I’ve written a vegan cookbook V is for vegan (link in bio) and am a big fan of vegan foods. I’ve not eaten meat for over 40 years. This is a sustainable diet, in terms of longevity. Vegans that I knew from the early noughties have reverted to meat eating. #newpuritanism? #vegetarian #vegan #foodwriter
Scrambled croft eggs (bright yellow yolks) with a Scrambled croft eggs (bright yellow yolks) with a seaweed that tastes just like truffle. Just done a little kelp foraging at low tide with @thetempleharris’ Amanda Saurin. Isle of Harris. Turquoise sea, white sand, cloud hovering just above. @camperdays.international @roosterpr
I went to Wembley in north west london to talk to I went to Wembley in north west london to talk to Sophie of @tobia.teff she uses the iron-rich, gluten free teff grain from her homeland Ethiopia. She showed me how to make injera, the Ethiopian flatbread which is fermented. She also talked about the coffee ceremony, 3 cups, which they pair with toasted barley or, currently, popcorn! I’d love to visit Ethiopia and find out more about their ancient food culture, history, 3.5k year old monarchy and religions.
Doing a spring budget recipe cooking demo for @bre Doing a spring budget recipe cooking demo for @brentcouncil Willesden library. I’ve been doing this a few times a year for the last few years. Wouldn’t it be great if they had a kitchen set up permanently. Libraries are community centres and could be used to teach how to cook from scratch.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Archives

Copyright © 2023 msmarmitelover