During the first 36 months of your child’s life, her brain is growing, growing, growing as she soaks up everything around her and figures out how to think, react and solve important problems.
Activities like reading to your child, listening to music, building with blocks together, playing games with her and letting her explore her surroundings all encourage brain development. But those aren’t the only ways you can help your toddler’s brain blossom; feeding her nutritious foods is important, too.
Foods that contain antioxidants, choline, omega-3 fatty acids and complex carbohydrates are all particularly helpful in boosting brain health. Of course, a steady diet of brain food isn’t a guarantee that your child will grow up to be a rocket scientist. But making sure your toddler gets plenty of these key nutrients is a smart start.
Best brain-boosting nutrients for kids
There’s no such thing as an “unimportant” nutrient, but these four are particularly good for your little one’s noggin.
- Antioxidants: These nutrients protect your toddler’s brain (and body) from normal wear and tear.
- Choline: Choline is a nutrient that is essential for brain development, memory and muscle function. It also helps the brain communicate with the rest of the body and can help regulate mood.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: These healthy fats —including ALA, DHA and EPA — are crucial to brain and eye development, and can help stabilize mood.
- Complex carbs: Complex carbohydrates are fiber-rich whole grains. They are crucial to the brain’s functioning because they are its main source of fuel. When the body absorbs complex carbohydrates, they’re broken down into glucose, which the body and brain use as energy.
If you’re thinking that glucose is a fancy word for sugar, keep in mind that sweets and candy don’t make the grade here. Those are processed or refined carbohydrates that are low in healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber, and can also cause blood sugar to spike and fall.
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The fiber in complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, slows the body’s absorption of energy, which ensures that the brain gets a slow and steady supply of fuel.
Best brain-boosting foods for kids
Many of the best brain-boosting nutrients are found in brightly-hued fruits and vegetables, seafood, nuts and whole grains, including:
- Beef
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Tofu
- Flaxseed
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
- Omega-3 enriched eggs and yogurt
- Whole grains (bread, cereal, pasta, crackers, brown rice)
How to incorporate brain-boosting nutrients into your child’s diet
Good news: You can find brain-boosting nutrients like antioxidants and complex carbohydrates in many of the foods your little one already loves.
For infants
Once your little one is around 6 months old, she’ll likely be ready for solids. Here are a few ways to incorporate berries and whole grains into her diet.
- Berry purée: You’ll find antioxidants in tons of fruits and vegetables — particularly berries. The more brightly colored the food, the richer in antioxidants it tends to be. Toss a handful of berries into a blender with some breast milk or formula and blend until smooth.
- Whole grain infant cereal: You don’t have to start your child on infant cereal, but if you do, the whole grain kind is a great option. To add a dose of brain-boosting antioxidants, mix the cereal with some berry purée.
- Whole wheat pancakes: Trying baby-led weaning? Try cutting whole wheat pancakes into strips and letting your baby gum them. For an antioxidant-bonus, make homemade pancakes with small, smashed pieces of berries baked into the batter.
For toddlers
Is your little one becoming a picky eater? Here’s how to tantalize your little one’s taste buds — and make sure she’s getting the nutrients her growing body and brain needs.
- Peanut butter and “jelly”: A toddler favorite, the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a brain-building powerhouse when it’s made with whole grain bread, omega-3 enriched peanut butter and slices of antioxidant-rich blueberries, raspberries or strawberries instead of jam.
- Yogurt and berries: Stir fresh berries into plain yogurt, which is rich in choline. Blueberries, in particular, are packed with antioxidants. Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are great choices, too. Your toddler will love the pops of color, and the taste of (natural) sweetness.
- Salmon: Serve small pieces of salmon fillets for dinner (make sure to remove the bones), or spread salmon salad (you can prepare it as you would prepare tuna salad) on whole grain bread or tucked inside a pita pocket for lunch.
- Scrambled eggs: Scramble some omega-3 enriched eggs — the yolk, in particular, is also rich in choline — and add in spinach, small pieces of broccoli and cheese.
For younger children
Sure, you could just serve up a bowl of whole grain cereal and milk. But there are other (more creative) ways to serve up brain-boosting nutrients to your growing child.
- Smoothie: Toss some Greek yogurt and fruit, along with some milk, into the blender to make a smoothie — a good breakfast for kids on the run.
- Toast with fruit slices: Bored with PB&J? Try making your child an open-faced sandwich on a slice of toasted, whole grain bread, topped with omega-3 enriched peanut butter and strawberry slices.
- Stir-fry: For a choline-packed meal, try making a stir-fry with cubes of tofu or lean beef, broccoli and cauliflower served over buckwheat soba noodles.
- Trail mix: If your child isn’t allergic to nuts, you can make a brain-boosting snack to go with walnuts, whole grain cereal (like Cheerios) and some dried fruits like blueberries and cranberries. Along with being a source of omega-3s, nuts, seeds and nut/seed butters are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which protects brain-cell membranes from damage.
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