Back-to-school brain fuel made simple

Good morning!

I hope that your kids are having a nice return to their academic routine and enjoying their time at school where they will learn, grow, socialize and make lasting memories! The ages before adulthood are unquestionably the most important when it comes to building a strong brain, so giving it the right materials or nutrients to work at its best is a no-brainer (oh yes, pun-intended).

Stick around for five minutes (or less) and you’ll walk away with simple, actionable tips to make your kids the most brain-nourishing meals possible.

Key Takeaways:

• Aim to add at least 2-3 servings of fruits and 2-3 servings of vegetables to your child's diet every day. 

• Stay away from ultra-processed foods like refined sugars, hydrogenated fats, precooked foods and excessive processed meats. 

• The 3 most high impact nutrients that you should prioritize in your child's diet for optimal brain development are iron, selenium & omega-3 fatty acids.

CORE

The Basics: Macronutrients

Before diving into specific brain-boosting nutrients, it helps to understand the foundation: macronutrients. These are the big three (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), and your child needs all of them in different ways.

Carbs

These are your child’s main energy source, especially for the brain. This group includes legumes, fruits, vegetables, grains, and starches. A brain-healthy plate often includes a portion of fruit and a veggie at each meal, though what that looks like depends on your family (broccoli at 7am might not fly in every household!)

Adding legumes like beans or lentils a couple of times a week makes for a great source of fiber, protein, and other essential nutrients. Grains such as rice, bread, or pasta give steady fuel, especially in their less-processed forms which have more of their nutrients still intact, and also have their fiber, helping to avoid a blood sugar spike.

And don’t worry, even dietitians know sweet snacks, although low in nutritional density, can still fit into their diets. Though ideally these are kept to a minimum to help leave room for the foods that best support a healthy mind, body and soul.

Learn more about this macronutrient in our Carbs Edition.

Protein

We all kind of get why these are important. Over and above helping to build muscles for a growing body, protein does just about everything interesting in our bodies. Playing a key part in the immune system, growth, neuroplasticity, learning and much, much more (let us know if you’d like us to explore any of these in a future newsletter!). Aiming for at least two servings a day helps ensure your kids are getting what they need.

Fats

Like carbohydrates, this is another macronutrient that is largely misunderstood. They form structures like the lipid membrane that surround almost every cell, insulate our body from the exterior via our skin, act as cushions for our organs, and serve as an alternate route for energy usage when you haven’t eaten in a few hours. As a dietitian, I feel it’s especially important to note that there is nothing bad about fats (excluding hydrogenated and trans fats), and should be included regularly in our diets.

Nutrient-rich sources like fatty fish (think salmon), sardines, avocado, eggs, red meat, olive oil, etc. offer both health benefits and delicious flavor (though I may just be biased). And although increasingly harder to do, I would recommend removing hydrogenated and trans fats altogether.

CORE

Specialized Nutrients

Now that I have covered the macronutrients (arguably the most important) , let’s look at the micronutrients that, when included regularly in meals, can help support your child’s learning, focus, and overall brain development.

Iron

It forms part of a protein, hemoglobin, which sits on your red blood cells and transports oxygen throughout your body, including your brain. It also works alongside magnesium and other minerals to help convert the food you eat into energy your body can use. Mind you iron is required for this process and cannot be replaced by other minerals.

Selenium

Critical for thyroid metabolism, the process by which the thyroid gland controls energy and growth in the body. It does so by helping to activate thyroid hormones T3 and T4, in case you were curious. It also regulates neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers that let brain cells communicate) and acts as a powerful antioxidant (a compound that protects brain cells from damage caused by stress and environmental factors). Learn more about the thyroid here.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Like any good wire, our neurons require good insulation to 1. ensure the electrical impulse doesn't lose energy, and 2. make the transmission faster. The myelin sheath requires these fatty acids which are usually deficient in the diet.

PRODUCT MENTION

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ENDNOTE

Final Thoughts

I hope these tips make nourishing your child’s growing brain a little easier and a lot more fun! Remember, small changes can have a big impact, adding just a few servings of the right foods each day can set the foundation for lifelong learning, focus, and health. Here’s to happy, energized, and thriving little minds!

Until next week!

Adrian Macdonald | Team Dietitian | The 8% Newsletter Author