Brain food for kids

The connection between bad nutrients and bad behaviour in children is well documented. But is there such a thing as food that brings out the best behaviour in children?

“Not so fast, not so fast,” cautions accredited practicing dietitian Malena Katz. “Correct nutrition helps avoid blood sugar swings, but it’s not as easy as feeding your child a piece of fish and seeing instant improvements in behaviour”.

Rather, Katz says, parents should focus on giving their children three nutritious meals a day and healthy snacks in between. This helps keep blood sugar levels stable – and concentration levels with it.

Essential ingredients for good brain activity

Katz also recommends prioritising the following in your child’s daily routine to stimulate optimal brain development.

Protein
“It’s easy to give young children fruit and crackers as snacks, but so much better to give protein-based snacks such as slices of chicken, an egg or yoghurt,” says Katz.

Our brain-cells, along with the muscles, skin and other important body parts, are protein-based. When we digest protein-based food sources, our bodies break these down into amino acids, which in turn fuel various processes including the creation of brain chemicals such as serotonin (a neurotransmitter) and adrenalin (the fight-or-flight chemical).

Children need a comparatively high amount of protein for their growing bodies. For exact amounts, see the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand website (www.nrv.gov.au)

Essential fatty acids
These are needed by the body for development of the central nervous system. They play a role in myelinisation (the development of material that surrounds and protects nerves). So, keep honing your child’s taste for dark leafy greens, deep-sea fish and nuts.

Good carbohydrates
“Eating a lot of high glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates at once causes the blood sugar levels to spike and then drop sharply,” says Katz. “Choose low to moderate-GI (glycaemic index) carbohydrate sources with a good fibre content for your children – such as whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables.” Dietary carbohydrate is essential for delivering energy to the cells – especially the brain, which needs glucose for its metabolism.

Iodine
Iodine is critical for healthy brain development from conception through to teenage years. According to Pam Stone, Blackmores’ Director of Education, good sources of iodine-rich food include seafood, dairy products and iodised salt, but trying to obtain the recommended levels from food can be difficult.

Exercise
“Being out in the sun helps regulate mood – as humans, we should not be sitting down all day!” Katz says. Spending time outdoors is thought to boost creativity, attentiveness and problems-solving skills in children.

As a final caution, Katz urges parents to remember how much space an unhealthy snack like chips actually occupies in a child’s stomach. “If you give children bad food, they’ll be more affected by it than an adult would be,” she says.