When we think about food affecting our bodies, we most often think about the taste, or how it will sit with our digestive system, or even how much energy it will give us. But when it comes to what types of food we consume, cognitive function is also a major factor, especially for your child.

A child’s brain functionality, their ability to focus, remember, and learn, can be significantly affected by the food they eat. Recent studies have demonstrated that nutrition affects students’ thinking skills, behavior, and health — all factors that impact academic performance. 

While the intake of food is vital for proper performance, many of the widely available and popular foods for school-aged children could be doing more harm than good. Loaded with sugars, caffeine, trans and saturated fats, chemicals, and sodium, many popular menu items are leaving kids tired, unfocused, jittery, and sick — which may not only impact a student’s grades and performance, but may also influence their behavior and mood. While most American children are likely consuming a great deal of calories, they may not be taking in sufficient essential vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. This lack in vitamins and minerals can lead to detrimental side-effects, according to Mary Gavin from the Nemours Foundation. Children with insufficient diets are reported to have more problems with health, academic learning, and psychosocial behavior.   

Did you know?

• Poor nutrition can leave students susceptible to illness or lead to headaches and stomachaches, resulting in school absences¹. 
• Studies have found that access to nutrition, particularly breakfast, can enhance a student’s psychosocial well-being, reduce aggression and school suspensions, and decrease discipline problems². 
• Research suggests that diets high in trans and saturated fats can negatively impact learning and memory.
• Nutritional deficiencies early in life can affect the cognitive development of school-aged children, and access to nutrition improves students’ cognition, concentration, and energy levels.
• Glucose comes from carbohydrates and is essential for providing us with energy, but foods that are too high in glucose cause the body’s energy levels to drop.

Healthy Fast Facts

Providing healthy, nutrient-dense meals and snacks can be difficult for busy parents, but keep these quick tips in mind: 

• Avoid processed foods when possible — processed foods are often packed with unhealthy sugar, fats, sodium, and often offer little to no nutritional value.
• Choose whole, natural options — fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains will provide energy to keep your child alert and focused. 
• Drink lots of water — dehydration can cause tiredness, headaches, lack of concentration, reduced mental performance and dry skin.
• Eat more often — try opting for smaller meals, with more frequent snacks in between meals (eating every 3-4 hours).
• Calcium is essential — it plays a crucial role in bone and heart health, as well as muscle function and nerve signaling. Try low fat (1% or skim) milk, or if your household is dairy-free, try fortified almond milk. 
• Meal Prep healthy snacks — a lack of time is often the reason for unhealthy snacks between meals. Spend an hour on the weekend as a family creating kid-friendly, easy to grab-and-go snacks that can be eaten throughout the week.

For more information about how to pack a healthy plate, visit Choose MyPlate.

Interested in a flexible and customized approach to learning to ensure your child can succeed at their own pace? eLearning offers Homeschooling, an Accredited Virtual School, and Onsite School to meet every child’s unique needs.

Play With Your Food!

How often have you seen kids playing with their food? Encouraging your child to play with healthy food options will create a fun environment around foods they may not otherwise want to eat. Try these snack time options with your child:

• Eat the Rainbow: A colorful plate usually translates into a wide variety of nutrients! Chop various colorful fruits or veggies for you child, and have them build a rainbow on their plate — try strawberries, oranges, bananas, green apples, blueberries, and purple grapes for a full spectrum. If your child is a picky eater, try topping off the ends of the rainbow with whipped cream or marshmallows.

• Cheesy Challenge: Are you up for the challenge? Grab a set amount of pretzel sticks, cheese cubes, and a fruit of choice and go head-to-head! Set a timer for 5 minutes, and see who can build the tallest structure by sticking pretzel sticks together with the cheese cubes and fruit. 

• Just Face It: Calling all little artists! Grab a plain rice cake, and your favorite healthy toppings, and get to work! Have your child design funny faces on their rice cake by spreading almond butter on the cake, and using fruits and other toppings to decorate. Try round berries for the eyes, apple or orange slices for the mouth, coconut flakes for the hair, or chocolate chips for freckles — the possibilities are endless!

Sources:

1. (Brown, Beardslee, & Prothrow-Stith, 2008)

2. (Brown et al., 2008)