More Crucial Brain Foods your Child Needs
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I hope you caught our most recent blog where I introduced you to six crucial nutrients your child’s brain needs. Your child’s brain requires certain nutrients at the right stages of life to help them develop properly.
In this blog, let’s continue exploring a few more nutrients that are crucial to the growth and development of your child’s brain. As we did last week, we will include some foods in which these nutrients can be found and what benefits they provide.
As a bonus, we’ll offer up some power foods that contain several of the key nutrients your child’s brain needs. Why? I get that it can be hard to feed a child - especially if they happen to be picky or only want to eat certain foods or textures. Hopefully, this list of power foods will help!
Crucial Nutrients your child’s brain needs
Iron
Why it’s crucial: Iron is essential for a child’s neurological development. Numerous studies report that kids who have lower levels of iron also have lower IQs. A lack of iron can also create fatigue, fearfulness, unhappiness, and poor social skills in kids. [1]
What foods contain it: Meats, beans, lentils, dark leafy vegetables, beets, figs, and baked potatoes have the highest iron content. Pumpkin seeds, shellfish, broccoli, and almonds also contain adequate amounts of iron.
Genius Tip: The consequences of iron deficiency in kids is serious. Unfortunately, supplementation with synthetic iron can be problematic, as it reduces spatial memory, mathematical achievement, motor function, and visual perception. The best way of ensuring kids get enough iron is through the right food choices.
Zinc
Why it’s crucial: Zinc is an important antioxidant that protects your child from environmental pollutants, which can slow a child’s ability to learn. It’s also needed for overall health and growth. It strengthens a child’s immune system, promotes proper bone and joint health, and is required to develop a child’s reproductive system.
What foods contain it: Foods that contain large amounts of zinc are seafood, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, eggs, and legumes. Other foods containing zinc include beans, kelp, green peas, and buckwheat.
Genius Tip: As an immune system stimulant, taking zinc in the form of a lozenge or throat spray can help ward off or reduce the staying power of a common cold.
Vitamin A
Why it’s crucial: Vitamin A, along with vitamin D and arachidonic acid, work together to promote mental health by regulating dopamine and cortisol levels. Vitamin A is necessary to carry out dopamine signalling to help reduce the incidence of anxiety and depression. Vitamins A and D are also essential for the optimal formation and function of the brain.
What foods contain it: There are large amounts of Vitamin A in liver and cod liver oil. Smaller quantities can be found in egg yolks, grass-fed butter, carrots, squash, cantaloupe, and broccoli.
Genius Tip: Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient. This means it must be eaten together with some healthy fats or be contained in a fatty food in order for it to be absorbed. Mother Nature got it right, as most foods naturally high in Vitamin A also contain healthy fats for this very reason.
Vitamin D
Why it’s crucial: Vitamin D works directly with Vitamin A in many contexts. It’s also required for the proper use of calcium in the body to create strong, healthy bones. But perhaps more importantly, Vitamin D turns on and off enzymes in the brain that create neurotransmitters and encourage nerve growth. Studies also suggest that vitamin D protects neurons and reduces neuroinflammation. [2]
What foods contain it: Fatty fish and cod liver oil contain large amounts of Vitamin D. Smaller amounts are found in shellfish, grass-fed butter, and halibut.
Genius Tip: Our body also makes Vitamin D when we are exposed to natural sunlight directly overhead. This is why many people love travelling to sun-filled destinations - it boosts their levels of Vitamin D and helps them “feel great!”
Vitamin C
Why it’s crucial: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is vital for optimal cognitive health. Your child’s brain uses vast amounts of vitamin C each day to form connective tissue and blood vessels. It’s also used to protect healthy brain function and convert dopamine into serotonin to boost your child’s mood. As a bonus, vitamin C works to strengthen immunity - making it extra helpful during cold and flu season! Because of its importance in daily brain function and how quickly it gets used up when our bodies are under stress, it’s recommended to replenish vitamin C supplies regularly throughout the day. [3]
What foods contain it: Vitamin C is found in many delicious foods like oranges, strawberries, blackberries, avocados, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
Genius Tip: Pairing Vitamin C-rich foods with those containing iron will improve iron absorption. Maybe that’s what makes a strawberry and spinach salad so delectable!
Power foods for your child’s brain
Here’s the part you’ve been waiting for! Power foods that contain many of the key nutrients your child’s brain needs.
You can think of this as your “cheat sheet” - if your child doesn’t eat all of the foods listed above (which is highly unlikely!), they will hopefully try some of the power foods listed below to acquire some of these crucial nutrients.
It’s also important to note that some pregnant women and young children have a hard time getting enough of these crucial nutrients. Vegetarian and vegan families or those who rely on a limited, starch-heavy diet without many veggies or fish may find it particularly challenging. For these people and anyone looking for more support, meeting with a nutritionist may be helpful.
Power foods for the brain
Bone broth:
Homemade broth made with the bones of chicken, duck, beef, lamb, or fish is packed with collagen and gelatin that improves digestion and contributes to healthy bones, connective tissue, and tendons. It also provides many of the crucial nutrients required for brain health and nervous system development, including vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and zinc.
Eggs:
Eggs, especially egg yolks, are an excellent source of choline, cholesterol, and AA (arachidonic acid) - all essential for a child’s developing brain. Grass-fed yolks are also rich in vitamins A and D, iron, protein, and folic acid, which work synergistically to help kids concentrate.
Berries:
Berries, especially blueberries, contain antioxidants and flavonoids that help improve memory and boost reaction time by improving brain cell communication. They also have vitamin A, choline, folate, and many different minerals that all contribute to proper brain function.
Leafy Greens:
Greens like spinach and kale are full of folate and various vitamins. Consuming these power foods throughout life is also linked to a reduced risk of getting dementia later on, as they encourage the growth of new brain cells. [4]
If your child struggles to eat their greens, get creative! Hide a handful of spinach or kale in a smoothie, omelette, shepherd’s pie, or lasagna. Alternately, try making some kale chips. They are much easier than you may think! Cut off the stems, then massage the leaves with olive oil. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan, sprinkle with a little sea salt, and bake until crispy.
Dark chocolate:
The raw cacao in dark chocolate is a rich source of flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals that work to improve cognitive function, boost blood flow to the brain, and promote the growth of neurons and blood vessels.
And this is just the beginning.
Did you know that you can start preparing for healthy pregnancy years in advance? Proper childhood nutrition should begin before conception!
If you are of child-bearing age, improving your nutritional status and building up your stores of the vital nutrients listed here now, can go a long way in helping you conceive, maintain a healthy full-term pregnancy, deliver a healthy baby, and even avoid postpartum depression.
To help you do this, we’ve created a recipe e-book designed just for you! Check out the “shop” page on HappiHuman.com and download our prenatal recipe e-book today. We also have a kid-friendly recipe e-book along with several others that may be of interest.
Bottom line
The right nutrients are crucial to your child’s development and brain health.
Studies show that kids who are well-nourished or take supplements tend to perform better on intelligence tests. If your child is not taking a supplement yet, you may want to consider getting him started on a quality multivitamin and mineral supplement today. This is especially important if your child is a picky eater and may not be getting all the necessary nutrients their growing bodies and brains need to function optimally.
Of course, the best place to start is by providing your child with some of the above-mentioned crucial brain foods first. You may want to consider our child-friendly recipe e-book to provide quick and easy kid-approved meals the whole family can enjoy.
As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think and what brain nutrients your child loves the most by dropping me a line or commenting below.
If you haven’t already done so, please sign up to receive my newsletters for more information about brain health, neuronutrition, lifestyle tips, and nutritional advice. Of course, if I can help you or your child with your nutritional needs, make an appointment to see me today!
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[Medical Disclaimer]
All information contained in this document is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent health problems. For all serious health issues, please contact a medical or nutrition practitioner. The information provided is based on the best knowledge of the author at the time of writing, and we do not assume liability for the information, be it direct or indirect, consequential, special exemplary, or other damages. In all circumstances, it is always wise to consult your physician before changing your diet, taking supplements, or starting any exercise or health program.