Food is one of the many factors that affect brain development in children. The younger years being the most critical for brain development in children, it’s only right for us parents to offer nothing but the best foods to boost brainpower in children not only for the present but also for the foreseeable future.
To help boost brainpower in children, let’s make sure that we give them (and ourselves, really) the following foods on a regular basis.
1. Fish
It’s true that most kids hate the smell and taste of fish, but you need to find ways to get them to eat fish because they are some of the best foods to boost brainpower in children. Tuna, salmon, sardines and other naturally fatty fish are rich in vitamin D and omega-3s, which help keep cognitive decline and memory loss at bay. The more omega-3s the brain gets, the better it will function.
2. Eggs
Eggs are a great source of choline, which is essential for the production of memory stem cells. Apart from choline, eggs are also loaded with omega-3s, zinc, and lutein, all of which help children concentrate.
3. Oatmeal
Eating oatmeal, which is rich in protein and fiber, is one great way of keeping the arteries in the heart and brain clear. Researchers have also established a link between regular consumption of oatmeal with better performance on academic tasks that are memory-related.
4. Nuts and Seeds
Protein-rich nuts and seeds are loaded with vitamin E, which takes on free radicals that damage brain cells and protect the brain from degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s in the process. Nuts and seeds are also good sources of essential fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals, all essential nutrients for brain development in children.
5. Apples, Strawberries, Plums and blueberries
Most children have a sweet tooth, but instead of candy, put apples, strawberries, plums and blueberries in their lunch boxes. They are full of antioxidants which offer a host of health benefits, including warding off cognitive decline.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Classified as a spice, turmeric also helps prevent the formation of plaques associated with Alzheimer’s. You may have to learn some Indian recipes though to make it more palatable to kids.
7. Green leafy vegetables
Making children eat their veggies can get frustrating, but you really will have to get them used to eating them particularly spinach and kale, which contains sulforaphane and diindolylmethane, which helps detoxify the body and aids in the production of new brain cells, respectively.
8. Chocolate
Believe it or not, chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and compounds that boost brainpower. Just get them to eat the super dark, fair-trade and pure organic kind though, and steer clear from those processed milk chocolate candy bars that are loaded with sugar.
9. Broccoli
Broccoli is widely regarded as a “superfood” as it packs plenty of nutrients, including vitamin K, which improves brainpower and helps enhance cognitive function. Broccoli, without a doubt, is one of the best foods to boost brainpower not only in children, but adults as well.
10. Wholegrain bread
If you regularly put sandwiches in your child’s lunch box, it is highly recommended that you use wholegrain bread for them. Wholegrains have been proven to improve blood flow. Aside from being a good source of folate, wholegrains also contain folic acid, which helps boost the immune system.
Aside from boosting brainpower in children, the foods mentioned above also help their bodies in other ways. Consuming any of these best foods to boost brainpower on a regular basis is a hallmark of eating right, and eating right is certainly something you would want your children to get comfortable with.
