The Impact of Nutrition on Childhood Brain Development: Building Healthy Habits Early
As children are growing, their brains are growing, too. A full 90% of brain development occurs by age 5, but the process actually continues into adulthood, until their mid- to late 20s. And the habits that they establish at a very young age can set them up for a lifetime of success—or a lifetime of struggle.
By the time my daughter, Chloe, was 2 years old, I was teaching her how to make brain-healthy choices, and proper nutrition was a big part of that. To ensure our kids grow up their healthiest, we must avoid the standard American diet that, unfortunately, they’re exposed to every day. We should also be modeling healthy behaviors for them, so they can learn by example and eventually make their own healthy choices by default.
5 Best Foods for Child Brain Development
I know that enticing kids to eat healthier can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. But when we choose foods that are tasty and good for them, everyone’s a winner. Here are several key ingredients—all nutritious and delicious—that I recommend for promoting healthy childhood brain and body development, plus easy ways to incorporate them into kid-friendly (and mom-approved) meals.
1. Eggs
Eggs are a real lifesaver for busy moms, because they’re so easy to prepare and pack for on-the-go eating. But brain-wise, they optimize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that’s important for learning, memory, and association. A lack of acetylcholine can lead to a decline in cognitive function and difficulty learning.
Egg yolks are also a top-notch source of vitamin D and rich in protein. They contain lutein, an antioxidant, to help fight inflammation in the body. While low in calories, eggs are also chock-full of two amino acids—tryptophan and tyrosine—that have antioxidant properties. Make sure you choose cage-free, organic, DHA-enriched eggs from vegetarian-fed chickens.
Egg Recipe Ideas:
For maximum simplicity, make a dozen hard-boiled eggs at the beginning of the week so they’re easy to eat as a snack or slice up for salads. I also love egg salad wraps, made with a coconut wrap instead of traditional white flour tortillas. But eggs are so versatile, the options are endless—they’re also great simply cooked in a pan for breakfast or anytime.
2. Healthy Fats
While everyone should avoid fried fats and trans fats, healthy fats are a necessary component to promote brain health, heart health, and total-body health. That’s because the body uses these fats to support optimal brain function, store energy, build healthy cells, prevent oxidative damage and degenerative nerve disorders, and manufacture hormones.
Fat also helps kids feel full and satisfied after a meal. It’s required for the body to absorb and store certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients—so, when your kids take nutritional supplements, serve them with a meal containing a little healthy fat. Incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into their diet can help support muscle growth, too.
Recipe ideas: Reach for nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, almond or cashew butter (not peanut butter), and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You can also add these to a delicious homemade trail mix—perfect for snacking on the go. Use oils sparingly and choose wisely: Olive oil is great raw (such as in salad dressings), but for cooking, try coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or macadamia nut oil. And don’t forget avocados. Use them in guacamole for dipping vegetables, in smoothies, and in salads. They’re also the base for my Amazing Avocado Gelato, which kids always love.
3. Low-glycemic Fruits
Fruits such as apples and berries contain soluble fiber, which provides “food” (prebiotics) to the friendly health-boosting bacteria in your gut. This improves digestive health, and we now know that gut health can influence the health of the entire body. These friendly bacteria are responsible for making certain vitamins, such as vitamin K and some B vitamins, and boosting immunity.
A lot of fruits are high in sugar, so choose low-glycemic fruits and don’t overdo them. Overall, my favorite fruit choices are organic strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. These have less of an impact on blood sugar, and more nutritional value, than starchy or high-sugar fruits, like pineapples. Berries also have special brain-health benefits—like little Pac-Men, they actually help to clean up debris in the brain through a process called autophagy. Organic apples and cherries are healthy choices, too.
Healthy Fruit Recipe Ideas:
Muddle berries and fresh mint at the bottom of a glass, then pour sparkling water on top for a refreshing summertime drink. Add any kind of berries to morning smoothies. Or top healthy breakfasts like grain-free and gluten-free muffins or French toast with fresh berries for a flavorful, juicy treat. One word of warning: Avoid packaged fruit juices—they’re notorious sugar bombs and offer none of the fiber you find in whole fruits.
4. Cacao
Kids love chocolate, but we want to steer them away from mass-produced, ultra-processed candy bars and instead toward the wonders of raw chocolate, cacao. Researchers have found that raw cacao has a multitude of benefits, including for the brain. They’ve linked chocolate and cacao to improvements in blood pressure and increased blood flow through the arteries, which benefit both the heart and the brain. Cacao has also been associated with a boost in mood and brainpower, as one study’s participants were found to perform better on mental tests a few hours after eating dark chocolate.
Cacao has other positives, too, like possibly reducing risk for diseases like cancer and diabetes, as well as helping prevent stroke and heart attacks. While our children aren’t usually at risk for such conditions, starting healthy eating habits early will help prevent inflammation and disease later in life. And cacao has more inflammation-fighting power than both blueberries and green tea, thanks to its antioxidants known as flavanols.
Cacao Recipe Ideas:
Add cacao powder to smoothies or caffeine-free iced tea. You can even sneak raw cacao powder into a hearty turkey-based chili for dinner, which creates delicious leftovers for the next day’s school lunch. And cacao is a natural choice for homemade puddings made with avocado or chia seeds. When shopping for packaged dark chocolate, choose a type that’s sugar-free and dairy-free for maximum health benefits.
5. Lean Meats
We want to ensure our kids consume enough quality protein from sources in addition to eggs. Studies have reported that too little protein in early life can result in a smaller brain size, with reduced RNA and DNA content, fewer neurons, simpler dendritic and synaptic architecture, and reduced concentrations of neurotransmitters and growth factors.
Protein supports both mental sharpness and physical stamina. (Just make sure to balance out the protein with plenty of fresh veggies.) Getting enough lean protein can even improve mood, because protein-rich foods, such as seafood, poultry, and other lean meats, all help boost dopamine. Insufficient dopamine is associated with attention deficit disorder (ADD), lack of focus, and low motivation.
Lean Meat Recipe Ideas:
Try grilled chicken breast in salads and as a main course. As a kid, Chloe loved my chicken wings, which make great leftovers, too. For seafood, smoked wild salmon is great for a sit-down meal, but on the go, try canned wild salmon packaged in a pop-top container. Or try pre-cooked wild shrimp. (Both salmon and shrimp contain acetylcholine, the cognition-boosting neurotransmitter in eggs.) And grass-fed, nitrate-free jerky is another great on-the-go snack.
Better Brain Development Through Diet
While it’s important to follow a healthy diet at any age, it’s crucial for children. Their optimal development requires consuming a range of nutrients that support the brain and body as it grows and matures into adolescence and eventually adulthood. By giving them the tools to succeed through proper nutrition, parents can start establishing their healthy habits early on—ultimately making a lifelong impact in their health and happiness.
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