PhD Diet: From Coffee and Chaos to Real Food

From Random Snacks to Meal Prep—How Better Nutrition Can Boost Your Energy, Focus, and Sanity During Your PhD

Okay, this might sound like a weird topic, maybe even unrelated to the PhD itself, but I believe it’s absolutely crucial.

It goes without saying that eating keeps us alive, and eating well keeps us in shape. It’s also obvious that if we want to finish our PhD, we need to be both alive and in good shape. Yet, during the PhD years, our nutrition is not just neglected—it’s completely disregarded.

I’ve seen far too many cases of poor nutrition during the week (including my own), and I’ve always wondered how this happens. Wherever I’ve been, I’ve noticed the same pattern: PhD students eating poorly, at random hours, and in a completely disorganized way.

I know this doesn’t apply to everyone—some people are great at managing their diet—but what I’ve seen in research labs is very different from what I’ve heard from people working in companies. In the corporate world, there’s a proper lunch break, and often a cafeteria where employees can eat.

For experimental PhD students, this is usually not the case. A lunch break may or may not exist, depending on how the day unfolds. And even if there’s a cafeteria, it’s often too expensive for a PhD salary. (Again, not always, but this is what I’ve observed after talking to a large number of PhD students from different places.)

The Consequences of Poor Nutrition in PhD Life

This situation comes with consequences. Some common patterns I’ve noticed include:

1. Meals eaten at completely random times, sometimes with a 3-4 hour delay, often in front of the computer or during the 10-minute wait between protocol steps.

2. Dinners eaten at inconsistent hours, in front of the computer, or while waiting for an experiment to finally end.

3. Unbalanced meals, made of pre-packaged food, random leftovers, or even a frozen slice of pizza from the weekend, reheated just because there wasn’t enough time or energy to cook.

4. Skipped lunches. No time, everything overlaps, and goodbye lunch.

5. Random snacks at random hours, usually from vending machines, just to stay awake.

6. Rivers of coffee.

And let’s not forget the weekends (and everything around them). After a long, stressful week, we finally manage to go out with friends. Maybe we drink a little too much. And the next day? A killer headache. The worst part? It makes us unable to work productively or actually rest—so we’re just stuck feeling miserable.

There are so many factors contributing to poor nutrition during a PhD, and I’m sure I haven’t listed them all. But here’s my point: eating well is crucial for feeling well, and we need to make an effort to take better care of ourselves.

Our PhD is important. Our experiments are important. But our health—both mental and physical—is fundamental.

Lessons from Japan: The Okinawa Diet

As I’ve mentioned before, I love Japan and its approach to life (here How Japanese Philosophy Can Transform Your PhD Journey). And when it comes to nutrition, they have a lot to teach us.

The Okinawa diet is known for being one of the healthiest in the world and is strongly linked to the extraordinary longevity of the island’s population. It consists of:
✔️ Plenty of vegetables, legumes (especially soy and tofu), fish, and small amounts of lean meat.
✔️ A low-calorie intake, rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients.
✔️ The principle of hara hachi bu—eating until you’re 80% full.

And besides, Okinawa isn't worth visiting just for the good food. Credits: The 15 Best Okinawa Beaches

This dietary approach keeps metabolism efficient, supports cardiovascular and cellular health, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

Of course, I’m not saying every PhD student should start grocery shopping in Okinawa. But the point remains: taking inspiration from the world’s healthiest dietary traditions could help us take better care of ourselves, both as individuals and as students.

More energy, more vitality—and a stronger foundation for everything we do.

((If you want to learn more, Miki's Japan Wellness Lab has written this fascinating piece on the balanced Japanese diet and longevity —> Unlocking the Secrets of Japanese Longevity: A Path to Healthier Living))

My Advice: Meal Prep

What is Meal Prep?

Meal prep (meal preparation) is an organizational strategy that involves planning, preparing, and portioning meals in advance—usually for several days or a whole week. It helps:
✔️ Save time
✔️ Ensure a balanced diet
✔️ Reduce the stress of last-minute meals

Meal prep can include:

• Batch cooking: Making large portions of food and dividing them into meals.

• Ingredient prep: Cutting and preparing basic ingredients (vegetables, proteins, grains) for quick assembly.

• Pre-made meals: Cooking entire dishes and storing them for later.

How Can a PhD Student Integrate Meal Prep?

PhD life is intense and unpredictable, with experiments, data analysis, writing, and meetings filling up the schedule. Meal prep can be an anchor that keeps nutrition in check, even when everything else is chaotic.

Here are some practical tips to make it work:

• Strategic Planning (30 min/week) – Spend half an hour on the weekend planning your meals. Choose simple recipes with overlapping ingredients to save time and effort. Ensure every meal has protein, complex carbs, and vegetables for sustained energy. Pro tip: Ask ChatGPT for a meal plan!

• Batch Cooking (2-3 hours on the weekend) – Prepare large amounts of protein (chicken, tofu, legumes), grains (rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta), and vegetables. Portion them for the week. Also, prepare healthy snacks like yogurt with nuts, hummus with veggies, or homemade protein bars.

• Use Practical Containers – Invest in lunchboxes and airtight containers for pre-portioned meals. This reduces waste and keeps your food fresh.

• Leverage Your Fridge and Freezer – Fresh meals last 3-4 days in the fridge, while longer-term meals can be frozen. Use labels with dates to stay organized.

• Mix Prepped Ingredients Instead of Pre-Made Meals – If you don’t like reheating full meals, prepare just the base ingredients and combine them when needed.

  • Breakfast: Overnight oats or pre-made protein pancakes.

  • Lunch/Dinner: A base (rice/quinoa), a protein (chicken/tofu), pre-cut veggies, and different seasonings to make meals feel different.

• Adapt Meal Prep to Your Routine – If you have more flexible days, prep then. If you have long experiments, bring practical lunchboxes. If you work late, have quick-to-heat meals ready.

Personally, I’m not a meal prep master yet, but I’m trying. Cooking in larger portions for the next 2-3 days helps a lot. It reduces stress, keeps me in control of what I eat, my energy levels, and my time, since I don’t have to think about cooking every single day.

What About You?

Have you also struggled with poor nutrition during your PhD? Do you have any tips or strategies that work for you? Let me know—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading,

Best,
LoA