Tips on what to eat for the MCAT?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
B

BlueComet

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
179
Reaction score
98
I have my MCAT in a little less than 2 weeks. I am wondering, what would you guys suggest one should eat for breakfast/lunch for test day? I dont want to have to use the restroom during test day but also dont want to be hungry while taking the test. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Members don't see this ad.
 
No peanut butter sandwiches! Learned during a practice test that you’ll have to drink too much water to eat it and have to pee too early. You probably won’t feel super hungry that day, which is good. Hydrate well the day before so you don’t need to drink a lot during the test.
 
Eat things that are fulfilling: eggs/oatmeal whole wheat toast or bagels, and fruits. Lots of protein and maybe avoid dairy. But then again, don't eat things that you normally wouldn't eat. You never know how you'll take it...
 
Members don't see this ad :)
BlueComet said:
I have my MCAT in a little less than 2 weeks. I am wondering, what would you guys suggest one should eat for breakfast/lunch for test day? I dont want to have to use the restroom during test day but also dont want to be hungry while taking the test. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Low fiber, increased salt. Carbs for instant energy as well as some that take awhile to break down. Some fat to increase satiety. Some protein.
 
I am going to respectfully disagree with the peanut butter sandwich thing. I took several practice exams under exam day conditions, and ate the same thing for breakfast and lunch each time without any problems. Two pieces of avocado toast with a banana and coffee for breakfast/PB&J with a banana, apple sauce, and water for lunch. All things that I know I can eat quickly/don't upset my stomach. Limit yourself to one cup of coffee in the morning and you should be fine.
 
Catalystik said:
Low fiber, increased salt. Carbs for instant energy as well as some that take awhile to break down. Some fat to increase satiety. Some protein.
Click to expand...

Breakfast: Toast with orange juice with a side of eggs
Lunch: Whole grain pasta with chicken and mozzerella cheese

Pretty sure I hit everything 🙂
 
Last edited:
LoveBeingHuman:) said:
Breakfast: Toast with orange juice with a side of eggs
Lunch: Whole grain paste with chicken and mozzerella cheese

Pretty sure I hit everything 🙂
Click to expand...
The acidic orange juice might be problematic for those who are anxious ( and are secreting extra stomach acid), so, toast with jam and another juice.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Don’t drink two giant monster energy drinks throughout the day. God that was silly of me. I would stand at my locker and just chug.

I recommend granola bars, trail mix, a sandwich, and pretzels. Plus a candy bar for when you are walking out of the testing center.
 
For every major exam I take I get an egg and cheese bagel and it fuels my tummy for about 6 hours. If you really want to splurge (which you should for the MCAT) make your bagel fancy and add vegetables.

If you have a faster metabolism two bagels will suffice.
 
I'm a big proponent of foods you would eat during a long hike/run/trail! I'm a fan of caffeine/energy chews especially and they definitely helped me on the test.
 
Curry from my favorite Indian food buffet, saved from the day before. I find if you refrigerate it, the taste is damaged, so just leave it on the counter. Replace all liquids with strong coffee and you should be good to go!
 
Amm...I have never thought that you need to think about such things.
 
WIMNFamilyMed said:
No peanut butter sandwiches! Learned during a practice test that you’ll have to drink too much water to eat it and have to pee too early. You probably won’t feel super hungry that day, which is good. Hydrate well the day before so you don’t need to drink a lot during the test.
Click to expand...

Idk what you are talking about. I ate crunchy peanut butter sandwiches during mine. Result: Accepted.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
I ate the same thing at the same time every morning during the last two weeks. Highly recommend bacon cheese egg bites from Starbucks
 
I wasn't really in the mood to eat much of anything on test day just due to nerves. I brought a full lunch, but just ended up forcing down a banana and cup of coffee before the test and then taking a few bites of Cliff Bar during breaks.

Just focus on eating enough to keep your energy level high and steady. You're probably not going to really feel hungry during a high-stress exam.
 
I had donuts and candy before, and I ended up feeling exhausted and underperforming on two sections, so take that as you will. Lol.
 
My pre-med advisor told me to eat nothing but protein the morning of the exam (ie. Egg whites). She was convinced if I ate a single carb I would "crash" before finishing the test and "my brain would stop working."

I ate a bowl of cereal and it went well =)
 
I'm not a nervous test-taker, so I didn't really need to prohibit any of my normal foods. Oatmeal, OJ, banana, coffee, and turkey sandwich with trailmix. I think I brought at least 2 pamplemousse La Croix with me because I can't just not have them. I didn't have any issues. Use the bathroom on your breaks.
 
I also did what a few others mentioned - ate the same foods every time I took a FL. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have any stomach issues on testing day. I had oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, a banana during break one, a tomato & mozzarella salad + a Cliff bar for lunch, and then some "brain energy" trail mix + chocolate-covered espresso beans for break two. I needed to extra caffeine buzz to get through psych/soc!
 
During the early short breaks I had like half a Soylent, which was good in my case because I can't stomach a big enough breakfast in the early morning hours. I brought mints because I don't like the chalky feeling Soylent leaves on your mouth...

Lunch.. well I don't quite remember, but probably a chicken wrap & some fruit. Might've finished the rest of the Soylent.

*also +301980 to everyone that mentioned not having anything you wouldn't normally have**
 
A bowl of nails.... without any milk.
 
I had some turkey and cheese sandwiches, almonds, and oranges.
 
Kirkland brand protein bars from costco (they're like 22g solid protein each and taste great), bananas, small PB sandwich for me
 
BlueComet said:
I have my MCAT in a little less than 2 weeks. I am wondering, what would you guys suggest one should eat for breakfast/lunch for test day? I dont want to have to use the restroom during test day but also dont want to be hungry while taking the test. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Eat smarties. Thank me later
 
If you don't want to be hungry, don't be so reliant on carbohydrate. If you limit your carbohydrate intake, your body will use fat as fuel and your blood glucose won't have the highs and lows. I slowly cut my carbs over a couple week period to around 50 per day, relying mostly on vegetables and oatmeal, and instead of having hunger pains, you feel a less intense sensation. Once you do this, quit going off of social cues of when to eat, and instead listen to your body. It will tell you when you're hungry. This is why children often don't want to eat as often as we do- they only know their bodily cues.

I tend to "intermittently fast" whenever possible usually for 12-16 hours at a time, and keep my eating blocks low. If I intend on hitting a new lifting PR or have a test etc, I eat some low glycemic index carbs about 12-16 hours before. I eat plenty, as much as I feel like eating without stuffing. Maybe some fruit as well, and I hydrate well. But once I adapt to using bodyfat for SOME fueling (not talking about going ketogenic or anything. I don't completely cut carbs) I actually feel BETTER fasted. The longer I fast the more focused and mental clarity I get. As time goes on, your hunger gets more intense and your focus becomes more and more on food, and after a point its time to eat again, but this is typically after 24 hours, since until then your liver has plenty of glycogen stores.

You can't do this immediately before, however. It takes a few weeks of preparation minimum. Not good to jump into anything.
 
I usually make steak sandwiches and brownies when I take standardized tests. It works for me.
 
The night before I had a nice balanced meal (lots of veggies). The morning of I ate eggs and packed a PB & J sandwich. It worked for me!
 
LoveBeingHuman:) said:
Breakfast: Toast with orange juice with a side of eggs
Lunch: Whole grain pasta with chicken and mozzerella cheese

Pretty sure I hit everything 🙂
Click to expand...
I ate something very similar. Eggs and Toast for breakfast. Chicken and Mac-n-cheese for lunch. Starburst in between breaks 🙂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Tips for explaining a W on a secondary
Replies
8
Views
801
LizzyM
LizzyM
Anthodite
TIPS for getting an undergrad research position
Replies
4
Views
409
FlowRate
FlowRate
S
Tips for Navigating the Waitlist?
Replies
1
Views
948
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
N
To retake or not to retake the MCAT
Replies
15
Views
1K
HuskyMD Emeritus
H
premedbarista
a few questions about my ECs and what to/what not to include on my app
Replies
3
Views
494
LizzyM
LizzyM
Top