Want to help your child feel more focused and powered on throughout the day? Trying adding these five super-fun foods into their diet. A balanced diet and plenty of time playing outdoors are the best ways to keep your child healthy all year round.
1. Blueberries for breakfast
Start the day with blueberries and that’s one step in the right direction. Blueberries have long been hailed as a superfood because of their many health benefits, including being linked to improved memory.
How to eat them: Blueberries are a really quick superfood to add into your child’s breakfast. Add them to cereal, porridge, yogurt or fruit smoothies. Or just eat them as a snack!
2. Go nuts for snack time
Instead of high-sugar snacks, a handful of nuts makes a healthy and satisfying snack. Nuts are chock full of protein. It’s recommended that everyone should eat a handful of nuts, such as peanuts, almonds or cashews every day.
How to eat them: If your kids aren’t keen to eat them just as they are, add them into salads or stir-fries at dinnertime. Peanut butter counts too, but make sure it doesn’t have any nasty ingredients added in. You can spread that on crackers, into a sandwich or eat it on chunks of apple. Many children do suffer from nut allergies, and it’s worth checking with your child’s teacher before you pack nuts into their lunch box.
3. Smash some avocados
Avocados are excellent because not only are they full of nutritional benefits, but also the potassium in avocados helps improve concentration by fighting tiredness. Avocados are also linked to promoting calmness because they’re full of stress-relieving B vitamins.
How to eat them: Mash an avocado with some tomatoes and lemon juice to make a quick guacamole. Children can eat it as a dip with carrot sticks, spread it on their sandwiches or use it as a topping for a baked potato.
4. An egg a day
Eggs not only provide plenty of protein, but they are an excellent source of iron, folate and vitamins A and D which play an important role in growth and development.
How to eat them: A boiled egg is a good lunch box snack, but if you’re feeling more creative, then quiches, frittatas and omelettes are delicious egg-based recipes that can also include lots of healthy veggies.
5. Dark leafy greens at dinner
Children age 4 to 8 should eat one cup, and children age 2 to 3 should eat up to half a cup of dark leafy green vegetables every week. Leafy greens contain brain-power-boosting antioxidants and carotenoids, as well as B vitamins, which help you to focus and are good for overall brain health.
How to eat them: Does your child turn their nose up at green vegetables? Try tucking them into lunchtime wraps or savory muffins. At dinnertime, green veggies can be snuck into pasta dishes or veggie burger patties.
Sam Flatman is a dad of two, living in Bristol. He believes that outdoor learning is an essential part of child development, and is currently an Educational Consultant for Pentagon Sport. Connect with him on Twitter @PentagonSportUK.
Leave a Comment