What do/did you eat when taking the MCAT

[tle1093]

I just want to know what your routine pre-MCAT meal/snack is, whether it's a practice or the real thing. I know you have to eat a good breakfast before you go in, and as long as the food isn't too ridiculous or obtained from Taco Bell, your energy level should not be an issue. However, I still would like to know what food gets you into MCAT mode.

Oh yeah, any suggestions on snacks would be great too.

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[beckmancoulter]

oatmeal w/ milk and double espresso for breakfast.
banana right before i entered the testing center.
sips of sugar free vitamin water throughout.
banana, kashi trail mix bars and some gold fish in b/w sections. worked very well for me.

 

[n3xa]

Fruit, cheese, crackers.

 

[HumphreyHH]

Had a 5 hour energy shot before verbal and scored a 9, when normally scored 6/7 on practice tests

I had a friend take three of those before her MCAT. Her scores:
PS = 13
VR = 10
BS = 4

I don't know if the energy shots were the cause of this collapse, but before that day Biological was the best section for her. Imagine, getting a 13 in PS and only a 27 overall. She was crushed.

 

[Hastur]

In my last proctored practice test I brought Lara Bar type energy bars (the ones made of dried fruit and nuts) plus yogurts and dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is my favorite power food - good fats, high calorie so noshing a bit in breaks can keep blood sugar from dropping too far (and if it's super dark you won't get a rise/crash, though I do also try to keep something glucose-y around and nip tiny amounts of it for immediate boosts just because I happen to know that neurons burn a lot of the stuff.)

I'm probably going to bring a thermos of my own coffee for test day and mete that out slowly enough so as not to need to urinate too much -- the difference between my cognitive performance on a good-quality, single-origin coffee and on diner/gas station swill is day and night. Coffee has a lot of compounds other than caffeine. So does tea (different ones) - knowing how to employ them uniquely is a great brain tool. But I'm going to be careful not to overdo it on either. The electrolyte drink suggestion someone made is a good idea, too.

 

[Esio Trot]

I brought an entire bar of fancy dark chocolate with me, and some almonds. Dark chocolate (if that's your thing) during the break = best. thing. ever. And I highly recommend getting yourself something comforting (mac n' cheese) afterwards - that test is a mental ordeal.

 

[epsilonprodigy]

My new MCAT food: Naked smoothies. Yummm. Hydration + glucose + antioxidants.

A grande skim latte also does wonders for my sense of well-being. I just don't know if I can drink thermos coffee but will have to learn to like it before test day

 

[Cinclus]

I ate a Cashew Cookie Larabar, some True North nut clusters, and Cool Ranch Doritos during the breaks. My beverage was water, as always. My breakfast was ELISA certified gluten-free oatmeal, to which I added walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, Splenda, and unsweetened soy milk. I went to Mellow Mushroom to get a GF pizza afterwards. They burned my first one, so I ended up getting my pie for free b/c of the wait.

I agree with whoever said to eat comfort food afterwards, The pizza was very satisfying.

 

[FattySlug]

I ate a breakfast at McDonalds (forgot what I ordered) took an extra strength 5 hr energy and brought some energy bars + Powerade.

Idk if it's just me but that 5 hr energy makes me feel weird. The same feeling that you have when you run on coffee w/ lack of sleep. I had enough sleep the night before.

 

[epsilonprodigy]

The gunner diet:

Breakfast: smoothie made of Adderall, red bull and iron nails

Snacks: peanut butter and shrimp sandwich. Be sure to breathe on fellow test takers on the way in. Maybe some of them will start wheezing. This upps your odds.

Post-test: the souls of your fellow test-takers muahahaha

 

[Neuralbunny]

I have a sensitive stomach, so I was really careful to eat mellow stuff I knew didn't bother me the night before. This included mashed potatoes, which my family started calling "MCATatoes"

That morning, I ate 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and jelly, and a piece of ham. Gotta get that protein!

My snack was water and a Clif Mojo Mixed Nuts bar. I had time to run to the bathroom every break too, which is good because I was kinda paranoid about having to go during a section

 

[startoverat40]

stayed at hotel next to test center. got massage at 9pm, slept at 10, but woke up from some noise at 5am, got up at 6 went for a short run at the gym, had bkfst at hotel, took hard-boiled egg whites, trail mix bars, calcium/Mg/Zn pills and water to my locker and snacked on those during the breaks. made sure to visit the wc between each section also.

 

[Le Boudin]

epiPen adrenaline shot
bag of skittles
0.5g coca
tupperware of horsemeat

 

[topherP]

I had breakfast in the morning, brought some granola bars a lemon lime gatorade and a bottle of water.

I did this same regiment for my last 5 practice tests, as well as getting up early (8am test woke up around 6) Just to get my mind and body clicking somewhat.

To be honest I really didn't even have enough time to finish even one of the granola bars, or finish the gatorade. I went to the bathroom, just to walk around during each break, and then after opening the locker, getting the food, closing it up, signing back in....I just didn't have enough time over breaks... I'd find something simple, and stick to it, as well as get used to it.