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Home › Articles › Back to School Headquarters › A Brain Boost

A Brain Boost

Developing a Child's Mind Through Food

By Donna Smith

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Melissa Turner, a mother of two from Houston, Texas, serves fish to her family at least twice a week. "After reading the good things about fish for children and adults, I've added it to my weekly shopping list," she says. "My kids love salmon, halibut, cod and orange roughy the best. I've found that if I sprinkle a teaspoon or two of brown sugar during cooking, it creates a sweetness that my children love and they tend to eat more."

Oily fish, eggs and nuts are on Graimes' list, but she also includes fruit and vegetables and whole-grains (brown rice, whole-wheat bread and pasta). "[Whole grains] are a good source of all the key brain nutrients and also help to boost serotonin levels, the brain-calming, mood-enhancing chemical," she says. "Whole grains also help to keep blood sugar levels steady, fluctuations of which can lead to irritability and poor concentration."

And Graimes points out that most children do not drink enough water, favoring sugar-laden, carbonated drinks. "Dehydration affects concentration and intellectual performance, as well as the transportation of nutrients around the body," she says. "A 2 percent loss in body fluids, for example, can cause a 20 percent reduction in both physical and mental performance."

But even if we prepare all the right foods, it doesn't mean anything if kids won't eat it. So, above all, remember to make eating fun, so kids will actually want to eat. "Eating well should be enjoyable and not about deprivation," Graimes says. "Food is one of our real pleasures in life and as such, try to encourage your child to love and appreciate good food."

A Wonderful Snack Idea

Nicola Graimes shares a brain-boosting recipe from her book, Brain Foods for Kids (Delta, 2005).

Wonder Crunch

3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup Brazil nuts, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 box (14 ounces) wheat flakes
1 1/2 cups unsulfured dried apricots, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups raisins

Lightly toast the almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for three minutes, stirring frequently until golden. Leave to cool. Combine the toasted nuts and seeds, wheat flakes and dried fruit in a large bowl. Mix well. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or yogurt with live and active cultures and fresh fruit.


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