What to pack for lunch for a 7.5 hour test?

[DrHart]

Given that the new MCAT is now only offered at 8AM (no more afternoon tests for you suckers), and that the test makes for a longggggg day - what do you guys plan to pack?
Also, I'm a heavy coffee drinker (~4-5 cups before noon). Should I bring like a 5 hour energy for the lunch break? The psych socio section lands on my normal nap time and without all the coffee idk how well I would hold up. Sad but true

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[efle]

I'd pack something energizing and light but filling, like trail mix or good ol pb&j. Mix of sugar and carbs for immediate and sustained blood sugar is good. Maybe pack a couple large rocks of crack cocaine too

I'm the same (~4 cups every morning) and I took one of those canned coffees to have in the break for the old 5 hour test. You'll have a painful bladder in the middle of the following section but worth it to stay awake

 

[Caffein3]

I always pack some beef jerky to eat in between sections, a small deli meat sandwich and a snack for lunch, and I always always have a 5 hour energy or some caffeine before the test and during the break. Helps so much.

 

[mcatjelly]

If you're gonna do 5 hour energy, give it a trial run first so you know how it affects you!

I'm starting to swear by dark chocolate during my long hours of studying. And I'm not talking lame-ass Dove dark chocolate or whatever, I'm talking high quality, 70%+ cacao bean dark chocolate (studies say you don't see the health benefits of dark chocolate unless it's at least 70% cacao). Current bar of choice is Ghiradelli's Twilight Delight, which is 72% cacao and not as bitter as other brands I've tried. Anyway, I find that a small piece here and gives me a slight but noticeable uptick in alertness.

As for actual food, proteins and carbs are good... nuts/trail mix, hard boiled eggs, greek yogurt, a smoothie, peanut butter, meat sandwich, etc.

 

[efle]

If you're gonna do 5 hour energy, give it a trial run first so you know how it affects you!

I'm starting to swear by dark chocolate during my long hours of studying. And I'm not talking lame-ass Dove dark chocolate or whatever, I'm talking high quality, 70%+ cacao bean dark chocolate (studies say you don't see the health benefits of dark chocolate unless it's at least 70% cacao). Current bar of choice is Ghiradelli's Twilight Delight, which is 72% cacao and not as bitter as other brands I've tried. Anyway, I find that a small piece here and gives me a slight but noticeable uptick in alertness.

As for actual food, proteins and carbs are good... nuts/trail mix, hard boiled eggs, greek yogurt, a smoothie, peanut butter, meat sandwich, etc.

That is adorable, you'd have to eat an entire dark chocolate bar to get near the caffeine in a single cup of coffee. Stay away from the coffee man, it will threaten you with a migraine every day unless you drink it

 

[mikil100]

I would recommend a small amount of coffee in the AM, and then water (you don't want to get dehydrated at the end).
I'm gonna have something like PB&J, and whoever mentioned dark chocolate.. well thats an amazing idea. As is beef jerkey between breaks... and some sort of carb rich food as well.

I would just be careful with energy drinks or too much coffee.. you don't want to get dehydrated or be too jittery

 

[DrHart]

That is adorable, you'd have to eat an entire dark chocolate bar to get near the caffeine in a single cup of coffee. Stay away from the coffee man, it will threaten you with a migraine every day unless you drink it

ever try to quit cold turkey? I tried once over winter break. It was like a 5 day hangover but it reset my tolerance. That lasted all of... a month

 

[mcatjelly]

That is adorable, you'd have to eat an entire dark chocolate bar to get near the caffeine in a single cup of coffee. Stay away from the coffee man, it will threaten you with a migraine every day unless you drink it

I KNEW SOMEONE WOULD MAKE FUN OF ME. It's not just about the caffeine, though!

Anyway, a decent amount of caffeine sends my anxiety soaring (and cleans out my intestinal tract very rapidly), so I generally don't drink coffee.

 

[efle]

ever try to quit cold turkey? I tried once over winter break. It was like a 5 day hangover but it reset my tolerance. That lasted all of... a month

No, I'm not a masochist. I've forgotten my morning thermos before though, and hangover-migraine is exactly how I'd describe the evening

I KNEW SOMEONE WOULD MAKE FUN OF ME. It's not just about the caffeine, though!

Anyway, a decent amount of caffeine sends my anxiety soaring (and cleans out my intestinal tract very rapidly), so I generally don't drink coffee.

Oh I **** like a ****ing goose but dude, how else would I stay awake in the mornings

 

[trimethylpurine]

Question for all you energy drink/coffee drinkers - how much of an impact does this have on your bladder and how do you get around it? For full length tests.

 

[efle]

Question for all you energy drink/coffee drinkers - how much of an impact does this have on your bladder and how do you get around it? For full length tests.

It makes me feel like it's going to explode, and I had to use the bathroom in the short breaks between sections. Each section is short enough that you can relieve yourself at break

 

[ariesuc1]

foie gra belinis and hand made uni udon bowl. duck confit and lobster roll sliders with bearnaise drizzled on top

 

[mikil100]

foie gra belinis and hand made uni udon bowl. duck confit and lobster roll sliders with bearnaise drizzled on top

I'm saving that for the celebration (or depression induced binge eating) afterwards

 

[MetalloBetalactamase]

My advice? Eat a big protein breakfast three or more hours before you start, be hydrated, caffeinated. Once the test starts, don't eat. Don't put your system into "Rest-and-digest" mode halfway through the day. Do the whole 8 hours hungry. Keep the primevil hunter/gatherer, predator awareness system operating at Vmax/2 +. Drink water, coffee w/o nutritive sweeteners maybe, but no food.

 

[efle]

My advice? Eat a big protein breakfast three or more hours before you start, be hydrated, caffeinated. Once the test starts, don't eat. Don't put your system into "Rest-and-digest" mode halfway through the day. Do the whole 8 hours hungry. Keep the primevil hunter/gatherer, predator awareness system operating at Vmax/2 +. Drink water, coffee w/o nutritive sweeteners maybe, but no food.

OK no your brain needs some blood sugar in your system to get through 8 hours of the most stressful exam of your life

 

[MetalloBetalactamase]

OK no your brain needs some blood sugar in your system to get through 8 hours of the most stressful exam of your life

Ha ha ha ha ha. Foolish mortal. You only think it's the most stressful. Wait, you will STEP if you successfully MCAT, and then my young apprentice, you will stress!

 

[efle]

Ha ha ha ha ha. Foolish mortal. You only think it's the most stressful. Wait, you will STEP is you successfully MCAT, and then my young apprentice, you will stress!

I dunno I think this **** is all way over-hyped. High schoolers freak out over the SAT, college students freak out over Ochem or their GPA, then about the MCAT. I say STEP on up, and I hope you ain't the weak b*tch the rest of em was

 

[MetalloBetalactamase]

I dunno I think this **** is all way over-hyped. High schoolers freak out over the SAT, college students freak out over Ochem or their GPA, then about the MCAT. I say STEP on up, and I hope you ain't the weak b*tch the rest of em was

Google USMLE.

 

[efle]

Google USMLE.

I know what it is! I'm saying all the MD students saying "oh god the STEP is so nasty, it was traumatic" are no different than all the upperclassman who said the same thing about the MCAT and Ochem to me a year ago. But I'll wait to take it before I say it's the same effect once again

 

[DrHart]

Almost everyone passes step1 on their first try?

 

[efle]

Almost everyone passes step1 on their first try?

Yeah but people work their butts of to maximize their percentile, because it's something selective residency programs look at

 

[DrHart]

Yeah but people work their butts of to maximize their percentile, because it's something selective residency programs look at

Is this not the same for the mcat and sat/act? Selective colleges look at sat/act and selective medical schools look at mcat?

 

[efle]

Is this not the same for the mcat and sat/act? Selective colleges look at sat/act and selective medical schools look at mcat?

Yep pretty much, so everyone stresses about it being the biggest most important exam since residency is such a huge deal

 

[bee17]

I'm planning on putting a bunch of snacks in my lunch box so I have options, although I'll probably just end up eating a PB&J and an apple or something. During the practice exams I've taken, I didn't eat much. I also plan on bringing bottled iced coffee in case of caffeine withdrawal headaches. Dark chocolate is a fabulous idea.

 

[money117]

Caffeine pills.

- cheap
- easy to dose accurately
- don't need to consume all that unnecessary fluid from coffee that'll make the need to go to the bathroom even worse
- saved my butt in undergrad thus far

As for food most likely small snacks like granola bars and such.

 

[AM508]

I took the old exam, for that I took a big Gatorade and 4 rice crispy treats to keep in my locker for breaks. That worked well for me.

 

[efle]

4

Oddly specific. Does size matter or there just has to be 4...?

 

[AM508]

Oddly specific. Does size matter or there just has to be 4...?

Nah...It was just how many I grabbed out of my box of them before I left the house. I only remember because I ate two after physics and two after verbal. It is odd the little things one remembers sometimes...

 

[DrShephardWannabe]

ever try to quit cold turkey? I tried once over winter break. It was like a 5 day hangover but it reset my tolerance. That lasted all of... a month

The first week of detoxing from caffeine every winter/summer break is what I look forward to. Feels so good not to be addicted. Then right around halfway through the semester the addiction begins again. It's a vicious cycle..

 

[StarFall]

I usually get food coma after eating lunch.. so not sure what to bring/if I should bring anything. I'll prob be anxious, hence more cortisol -> increase glycogenolysis + gluconeogenesis -> hello glucose.
I'm thinking something protein-rich and small with some extra coffee.

Or I might just nap. I haven't decided yet..

 

[MetalloBetalactamase]

I usually get food coma after eating lunch.. so not sure what to bring/if I should bring anything. I'll prob be anxious, hence more cortisol -> increase glycogenolysis + gluconeogenesis -> hello glucose.
I'm thinking something protein-rich and small with some extra coffee.

Or I might just nap. I haven't decided yet..

How about this?

 

[DrHart]

nice atherosclerosis burger ^^

 

[StarFall]

How about this?
View attachment 191040

Too much carbs/bread. Might need bacon or something.

 

[spcwounder]

I plan on eating a good breakfast in the morning and bringing some GU packets with me. The GU packs with caffeine got me through hi endurance activities thus far

 

[restlessdriven]

This has worked pretty well for me for my 5 practice tests.

Breakfast (~2 hours before the test): 2 scrambled eggs and half an avocado (protein and good fat, my body likes both!), cup of coffee, guzzle another cup on way to test site
1st break: Cliff Bar and half a bottle of Naked Green Machine. This stuff has always helped me think clearly.
Lunch: Small tray of vegetables I get pre-packaged from Kroger. It has tomatoes, carrots and celery. Drink the rest of the Green Machine I also bring a small foil package of pink salmon.
Third break: Mostly water, small packet of pretzels if I need it

Try not to eat too much on your breaks! The first time I brought the Green Machine drink along, I drank all of it during the 1st break. Felt like I needed a good nap!

 

[Ulgarmoose]

I'll definitely have a 5 hour energy during the break. Caffeine without the bladder demands.

As someone that drinks 2 cups of coffee daily, I can say that I feel better with caffeine in my life than when I am without it, even after I'm not "addicted". That cup in morning with a glass of orange juice besides it...Ah, life is good.

Other than that... Almonds, yogurt, and probably a ham sandwich. The lunch of champions. I'm sure I'll be ravenous afterwards since I'm one of those people that cannot go a few hours without food before the starvation and desperation sets in.

 

[Radioactive1112]

i practiced with a sandwich...turkey sandwich that's a no go for me. So i'm eating eggs/bacon for breakfast ~1hr before the exam and water. And I think I'll eat at all breaks just to be on the safe side...hungry tummy will not help me focus. lol I told my friends I should wear a depend/dependable diaper. lmao. I bet somebody has done that. Good Luck folks!

 

[petyr_baelish]

Protein Bars. Make sure it has at least 15 g protein per 200 calories.
I like the ThinkThin brand because they don't have a tonne of sugar (no sugar crashes).
Quest Bars taste a little sweeter (not necessarily better).
Clif Bars are delicious but don't have enough protein.

String cheese is good. If you want to calm your nerves by doing something with your hands, BabyBels come in many flavours.

I tried to stay away from carbonated drinks. Personally they make me feel bloated and I hate artificial sweeteners/tonnes of sugar. Makes me lethargic.