Exam season is a very stressful time for children because they will need to review and understand all the information covered on their tests. They must always stay healthy to retain and remember what they have studied and eventually succeed in their exams.
While having a good and healthy diet is always ideal, studies show that certain foods can improve our brain health and performance.
If you want to include these foods in your children’s diet, here is a list of the top brain foods that they should eat to support brain health:
– Salmon
There are certain types of fish that contain many health benefits than others. Salmon is one of these fish, and it has high levels of omega-3s and protein. Omega-3s are essential fatty acids found in fish that can help promote better brain health and slow mental deterioration.
You can serve salmon to your child as their main dish or use it as a filling for a sandwich.
– Eggs
Eggs contain good cholesterol and multivitamins that support various aspects of the body, including brain health. They are rich in nutrients, such as selenium, choline, vitamin B2, B5 and B12, and lutein. Each of these nutrients can help improve memory, develop cognitive functions, and support overall nerve health. Additionally, lutein can help with visual and mental health.
If you want your child to enjoy these benefits, they will have to eat the whole egg, including the yolk, since it contains many of the nutrients mentioned above.
– Spinach & Kale
Spinach and kale are two of the most popular dark leafy green vegetables known as superfoods. They are both nutritious and contain high levels of Vitamin K, which helps improve the brain’s pathways. These vegetables can also provide the body antioxidants and nitrates to cleanse away harmful toxins that can affect the overall health. Moreover, both kale and spinach can give the body vitamin B6 and B12, which are essential vitamins for memory and alertness.
You can easily include these green veggies in your child’s diet as a salad, transform it as a sandwich filling, or add it as a smoothie ingredient.
– Turmeric
Turmeric is becoming a trendy health food, and many people drink it as a tea for faster consumption. Studies have highlighted the benefits of turmeric, such as brain function improvement by creating new neural connections, delayed development of many brain diseases, and slow mental decline during old age.
If you want to include it in your child’s diet, you can mix turmeric with milk, cinnamon, and honey and serve it as a drink or use it as a spice to make curry dishes.
– Blueberries
Blueberries and other kinds of berries are also known to support brain health. Berries contain a unique flavonoid known as anthocyanins, which help improve blood flow to the brain and support mental performance. Anthocyanins also prevent inflammation and improve nerve cell development.
To serve blueberries for your children, you can give it to them as smoothies, or they can snack on the whole fruit.
– Broccoli
Broccoli has a lot of significant healthy compounds, like carotenoids, that can help improve brain performance. These carotenoids can help with brain and eye health, essential for children to do well in their exams. Studies also pointed out that their reaction time will be even better if they regularly eat broccoli with other nutritious foods.
You can serve broccoli as an ingredient in various dishes or mix it with other excellent brain food like nuts, eggs, and other green vegetables. Some children may also eat it raw if they want to chow it down on its own.
– Nuts
Nuts are one of the best brain foods, especially if prepared correctly. They have high levels of healthy fat, fibre, protein, and other essential nutrients and vitamins beneficial to brain health. Studies have shown that snacking on these foods during studying can help certain brain functions to improve. Consequently, children who regularly eat nuts can have better reaction time and achieve higher exam scores.
Other studies show that having at least five servings of nuts every week can also improve overall mental health.
– Avocados
People always say that avocados are the new superfoods because of the health benefits they provide. Avocados are known to have high lutein, which supports both visual and mental health.
They are also very flexible to eat because you can eat it whole, use it as a spread, mash it into guacamole, and still enjoy all its benefits.
– Citrus
Citrus fruits have always been seen as a healthy food option because of their various health benefits. One of the major health benefits they offer is improving brain health through their high concentration of flavonoids. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidant agents that can promote good memory and learning. They also help prevent mental problems by strengthening the nerve cells in the body.
You can give citrus fruits in fresh juice form or mix it up with other great brain foods for children.
– Green Tea
Although teas and energy drinks with caffeine can help the body get an instant energy boost before any activity, it can cause your child’s stomach problems. Too much caffeine can also affect your child’s focus and cause them to have sleeping problems. If you don’t want your child to experience these adverse effects, you can provide an alternative green tea drink. Green tea is more beneficial, and it also comes with a lot of antioxidants, which are good for concentration and overall health.
In Other Words
If you want your child to focus easily, you should need to pay extra attention to the things they eat. With this list, you can change their eating habits during exams and give them an extra boost in the process. Mix and match these foods according to their preference, and you will surely see a difference in their overall performance.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
