Craving a Late-Night Snack?

What’s good sleep without a great late-night snack? At Harvard, late-night snacks come in the form of Brain Break—an opportunity for students to temporarily step away from p-sets and papers to grab a bite to eat in the dining halls while catching up with friends. Over the years, it has become somewhat of a Harvard tradition and staple of campus life. 

But recently, students are complaining of a lack of options, poor quality, and even mice—looking at you Kirk—in the dining halls. Is Brain Break really worth the hype? Some on campus would defend Brain Break with their dying breath, and others would never show their faces in the dining hall past 8 p.m. I will be the first to admit that HUDS Brain Break can produce some massive flops, but I defend Brain Break as an experience. It’s a chance to catch up with your blocking group before getting ready for bed, or the last time you’ll see your roommate before they head to Lamont for the night. Here, I will be reviewing several Brain Break staples in an attempt to determine whether it’s worth the trek to the dining hall.

Cereal

Cereal is a consistent, dependable option—even if you betray it, cereal’s your ride-or-die. The dining hall’s assortment includes Chex Mix, Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs, and more, which can be enjoyed on their own or with some milk. It’s not the showstopper, but reliable and will always be available at Brain Break. Frosted Flakes serve as a great, gentle pick-me-up the night before your midterm; dry Lucky Charms are great for a movie night; Krave with a Redbull can get you through the most heinous of all-nighters. That being said, the best cereal options run out quickly, leaving behind only plain, stale Cheerios, so make sure you get to the dining hall early! 7/10

Peaches and Cream

Peaches and cream is the ultimate Brain Break hit-or-miss. When it’s good, it’s great, but sometimes the peaches still have leftover frost on them or just taste a little funky, and that can ruin your whole night. The cream is pretty consistent; sometimes it’s a bit too sweet and sometimes it’s not quite sweet enough, but it’s enjoyable enough. I tend to take the cream and skip the peaches. I’ll say it’s perfectly neutral. 5/10

Hot Chocolate

When I have no one else, I know that dining hall hot chocolate will always have my back. No matter the weather and no matter the time of day, dining hall hot chocolate is always there and delicious. This is my go-to comfort drink and one of the very few HUDS options that I can say I genuinely enjoy—it’s the perfect amount of sweet, warm, and rich. I would definitely recommend adding whipped cream and sprinkles—the chocolate sprinkles, not the rainbow sprinkles! Marshmallows are also the perfect touch, but they dissolve in seconds. -.5 points for being so filling that I can barely finish it. 9.5/10

Oatmeal and Raisins

Oatmeal and raisins are not a good meal anywhere. And at HUDS, where no meal is good, oatmeal and raisins make a particularly awful meal. It is straight-up mush. This is the meal that Miss Hannigan would serve the orphans in Annie. Do NOT eat the Brain Break oatmeal and raisins. 0/10

Fruit

The fresh fruit is mediocre. Typically, the bananas are brown, the oranges green, and the apples bruised. If you dig enough, you’ll find something edible, but it’s usually bland. Still, fruit is a solid, inoffensive Brain Break option. If it’s a good night, they’ll put out mixed berries, which are perfectly sweet, fresh, and great with whipped cream. If not, though, the other fruit options are not great—note: freshness cannot be guaranteed. 4/10 

Vegetables

Amazingly underrated Brain Break option—vegetables are the silent heroes of Brain Break. The people who hate vegetables are the same people who fed the dog their broccoli as kids. Vegetable options include carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumber, and zucchini, all great bedtime snacks and a way to add fibre to your diet. The veggies are particularly yummy when HUDS serves hummus or ranch along with them. 8/10 

Chips and Salsa

The chips and salsa are pretty good. Not the best, but a solid option overall. Sometimes, they run out of chips, and there’s just a massive bowl of salsa left behind, looking quite lonely. Of course, they don’t hold up to nachos from Jefe’s or Felipe’s (no matter which team you’re on), but as far as HUDS goes, they’re solid. 7/10

Pretzels and Goldfish 

This is the rare gem of Brain Break. It comes out about once a month, but when it does, it means it’s a good Brain Break. Pretzels and goldfish are two of my favourite snacks, so I will never complain when they are combined. However, I do wish that they would stop putting it in the fridge, as there is something oddly off-putting about having cold goldfish. 9/10

Pound Cake and Strawberries

To be honest, I’ve never had the pound cake and strawberries at Brain Break. In fact, the majority of people I polled had never even seen pound cake and strawberries at Brain Break, but my roommate was adamant that it not only exists, but that it is the best Brain Break option. While right now it remains a mystery, pound cake and strawberries admittedly do sound like an absolutely delicious brain break option, especially when the dessert options are particularly lackluster. -1.5 points for being seemingly impossible to obtain. 8.5/10

As Harvard students do, although we love to hate on it, Brain Break is truly the lifesaver of plenty all-nighters, and it has its fine moments. From meeting new friends in the line at Berg Brain Break to falling asleep over essays in your house’s dining hall, Brain Break is a special part of Harvard’s campus life. Next time you’re there, try out the vegetables, hot chocolate, and cold pretzels and goldfish. But, don’t forget to avoid the oatmeal and raisins at all costs. 

Lucy Duncan ’28 (lduncan@college.harvard.edu) writes Arts for the Independent.