Brain Food for Kids and Adults

Many people concerned about their health worry about their cholesterol levels, and calorie content. But the right diet is not just about preventing heart disease and obesity. It’s also about keeping your brain healthy, and that means you need to think about brain food.
So let’s get on to the list:

1. Dark chocolate

This is one item that can put a smile to your face. After all, who doesn’t like chocolate? This seems like the ultimate brain food for kids and adults alike. It’s been found that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve the blood flow to the brain, which makes the brain function more effectively because of all the oxygen it nourishes on.

2. Eggs

This is one of the best brain food items because they’re affordable, easy to get, and simple to prepare. Eggs come with a long list of very beneficial nutrients, including lutein, choline, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. All these nutrients can help with cognitive functions such as concentration and memory.

Most kids like eggs, but for a special treat you can put in scrambled eggs in a whole grain tortilla. This makes for a great breakfast or snack, and there’s no sugar energy crash to worry about.

3. Whole grains

Like just about any other of your body, your brain also needs energy, and that means you need to have glucose in your blood to the brain. A steady supply of energy from glucose helps you focus and concentrate.

So for breakfast and snacks, you may also want to try brown pasta, granary bread, wheat bran, and “brown” cereals.

4. Fatty fish

Lots of experts tout salmon and other fatty fish like tuna and sardines as among the great foods for brain health. Children can focus better with the omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D these fish contain. Adults also get the benefit of protection against memory loss and cognitive decline.

5. Spinach

The old Popeye cartoons had it right, although spinach also has lots of vitamins and folate that can stave off dementia in the future. To make it more attractive for kids, you can try making a smoothie for snacks or you can add it to your omelet.

6. Kale

This is one of the brain healthy foods that are also good for adults and kids alike. It contains diindolylmethane, which helps new brain cells grow. It also has sulforaphane which has detoxifying abilities. You can feed kale to your kids by making chips.

7. Nuts and seeds

These make for a great snack, although you may want to limit them to about 1.5 shot glasses worth to limit the calorie intake. They’re rich in folate, selenium, and vitamin E, which is particularly important for the elderly because it can help cognitive decline by protecting your neurons.

8. Blueberries

Blueberries aren’t just tasty, but they’re great for your memory too. In fact, not only does it improve your memory but it can even reverse memory loss as well. A study had lab animals with nerve cell damage fed with extracts of blueberry, and it was found that the as a result the animals had improved short-term memory, learned faster, and even had improved coordination and balance.

9. Broccoli

Lots of people know that broccoli is healthy, but not everyone knows that it is also a super food for the brain. The vitamin K it contains boosts your cognitive abilities. It also has choline which has been found to improve memory, which is why eating broccoli can help you perform better on memory tests.

As a bonus, older adults benefit from the folic acid it contains which can help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Folic acid deficiency has also been linked to depression, so broccoli can help you feel better.

10. Plums and apples

When it comes to snacks, you can also try out plums and apples. Kids love them too. But the nutrients often come from the skin, so buy organic fruits and then wash them well so you don’t consume unhealthy pesticides as well.

Plums and apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin, which can also help fight off cognitive decline. And these fruits are a good source of energy for sluggish kids in the afternoon.

11. Oatmeal

Instead of sugary cereal that gives you an artificial energy boost, feed your kids lightly sweetened oatmeal instead. They’ll do better in academic tasks that involve their memory. You can even add cinnamon and not just for the taste. Cinnamon contains compounds that protect brain cells and boost brain activity.

In a scientific study the taste (and smell!) of cinnamon was found to improve cognitive performance in adults.

Oatmeal is a truly healthy food because it is rich in protein and fiber. Eating oatmeal regularly can help you keep your heart and brain arteries clear so that the blood flow is not impeded.

12. Greek yogurt

Yogurt is generally a healthy food, but the Greek variety has more protein than the others. This yogurt can help maintain the flexibility of the brain cell membranes, so that they can send and receive information effectively.

To prepare them for kids, you may want to serve it with some blueberries. Serving it with dark chocolate chips makes for a special treat.

When preparing these healthy brainy snacks, think about serving a less popular item (such as broccoli) with the other more popular food items like blueberries and chocolate.

Of course, it’s not going to be possible that your diet day in and day out will give you all the nutrients you need. That’s why supplements are so important, because they can give you the nutrients your diet lacks.

Even if you have a healthy regular diet filled with lots of brain food, it doesn’t hurt to boost your brain with safe supplements. While it is possible to overdose on some vitamins and minerals like iron or zinc, natural supplements like Focus Formula are whole herb based and thus have no side effects or change of overdose.

They’re great for kids with attention problems and mood swings, and they’re also beneficial for adults too. They function much like dark chocolate, as it improves the blood flow to the brain. It’s safe for children 3 years and up, and the cost boils down to just an extra dollar a day.