Eat to Feed the Brain - Kids & Adults (Includes Food Suggestions and Meal Ideas)

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Photo via A Health Blog at Flickr.com

Your brain is an amazing thing. It controls your entire body. That said, we need to be sure we are taking proper care of our brains. The best way to do that is to eat food that enrich the brain's functions. Both kids and adults should eat to feed the brain. The 4 groups of foods that do this are fatty acids, amino acids, glucose, and micronutrients.

Fatty acids
(foods and supplements containing Omega-3 and Omega-6)

• Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Trout, and other coldwater fishes
• Evening Primrose
• Borage
• Black Currant Seed oils
• Meat, Eggs, and Dairy (in moderation)

Amino Acids (Proteins)

• Rice & Beans (combined)
• Fish
• Meat
• Fowl
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• grains, legumes, seeds (these need to be combined to be complete proteins)

Glucose (carbohydrates)

• Fruits
• Whole grains
• Vegetables

Micronutrients

• Fruits
• Vegetables

How to Manage

From the lists above, we can gather that the best brain foods are fruits and vegetables, fish, dairy, whole grains, and meat and legumes (in moderation). If your kids are a bit picky, try making kid-friendly combinations of the correct nutrients. You also may want to try slight variations to any of the meal suggestions to fit your child's taste. Just refrain from adding those nasty refined sugars. Sure they may taste good, but numerous studies have shown that sugar can be hazardous to the brain.

Breakfast ideas to feed the brain

• Fruit Smoothies (berries, almonds or protein powder, kelp powder, flax meal)
• Omelet (spinach and mushroom) with slice of whole grain bread with whole fruit spread or a side of orange slices
• Yogurt with almonds and fruit slices
• Whole grain pancakes with heavy whipping cream smiley faces, apple slices and almonds to make ears, eyes, and nose, and a glass of milk

Snack ideas to feed the brain

• apple slices and almonds
• carrot sticks and raisins
• pears and walnuts
• carrots and walnuts
• applesauce
• apple and banana slices
• vanilla ice cream with pineapple slices
• yogurt with fruit slices and almonds
• smoothies

Lunch and dinner ideas to feed the brain

• free-range turkey burgers, squash with organic butter, steamed spinach salad (romaine lettuce, carrots, snap peas, red cabbage, avocado, dressing - flax oil or walnut oil and lemon)
• salmon, corn, string beans with almond slivers, salad (romaine lettuce, red cabbage, tomato, carrot, radish dressing, flax oil or walnut oil, and lemon)
• vegetable stir-fry (olive oil, garlic, black beans, string beans, red peppers, zucchini, broccoli, almonds or peanuts) served over brown rice, sauerkraut
• tempeh burgers, salad(lettuce, summer squash, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, dressing - extra virgin olive oil and lemon)
• tomato soup salad (salmon or tuna, lettuce, spinach, red cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, tomato, sesame seeds, dressing - extra virgin olive oil and lemon)
• chicken tostada (corn tortillas, chicken, sour cream, avocado, salsa)

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network