Let’s face the facts: finals are tough. Whether a final is comprehensive, chapter-based or a project, it’s going to be stressful. One thing that will help reduce stress is preparation, which means studying.

In order to study properly you need to make sure you’re getting enough sleep and taking care of your body. One way to do this is eating the right foods during finals week, especially foods that will help you stay focused and keep you going all day.

Here are some foods to help get you through finals week:

Dark chocolate – Other dessert foods are full of sugar and end up slowing you down, but dark chocolate does the opposite.

Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which help control free radical cells in the body by donating spare electrons when needed. Dark chocolate also contains many natural stimulants, like caffeine, which can help you stay awake and provide energy.

Dark chocolate is also helpful when paired with fruit. Pomegranate or blueberries dipped in dark chocolate offer all the benefit of both foods.

Whole grains – Whole grains are easy to slip into a diet since many foods, like bread, rice or pasta, offer whole grain options.

Whole grains can aid in better digestion and help eliminate stomach aches and discomfort, which is more than can be said for a trip to a fast food joint. Since they take longer to digest, whole grains also help you stay focused longer and keep your blood sugar even, which is needed during any study session or examination.

Tea – Tea isn’t technically a food but it can be a lifesaver for those stressful nights of studying. Different teas have different effects on the body. For example, chamomile tea doesn’t contain any caffeine and can help calm restless nerves.

While you want energy to stay alert while studying, after a long day of studying it’s important to get rest. If the stress is making it hard to sleep then a nice cup of chamomile might help you calm down and get to sleep.

Green and white tea both contain ECGC, epigallocatechin gallate, which is a compound that helps improve short-term memory. A cup of tea may be the boost you need to memorize a pesky list of elements or important math equations.

Nuts – Nuts are a great source of essential fatty acids, this means that they will help your brain function which is exactly what you need for studying.

Nuts are also a great source of energy and can easily be paired with other foods, like a bite of dark chocolate or a cup of tea, to really give you the boost needed to power through studying.

These are just a few of the foods that can rehelp push you through a long studying session or a massive final exam. This list is not exhaustive and the most important thing to remember is to feed your body right. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet, especially when it comes down to the end of the semester.

So put away those fast food burgers for a week or two and add some new foods to your lunchbox to help jump-start your brain.