The early years of your child’s life are critical for brain development, and their diet plays an important role in providing the energy and nutrients the brain needs to grow. 

Supercharge Your Kids Day With a Nutritious Lunch

A balanced, diverse diet full of brain-boosting foods is the key to better brain health for growing kids. But getting your kids to eat a healthy diet can be challenging, especially for parents of picky eaters or parents who work full time. 

For parents who are short on time or schools that want to enhance their lunch program, school lunch delivery services are a great option to ensure your kids get the right nutrients to boost their brainpower and live a happier, healthier life. 

1. Whole Grains

Supercharging your kids’ lunch can be as simple as switching to whole grain bread when making sandwiches or wholemeal pasta for pasta salads. Whole grain foods are high in B-vitamins, crucial for memory function and energy metabolism. 

Try making a brain-boosting turkey wrap with a whole grain tortilla, lean sliced turkey, cream cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Slice into rounds and secure with fun kid-safe toothpicks. 

2. Eggs

Eggs are an excellent source of complete protein. One egg has 6 grams of protein and all the essential amino acids your child’s body needs to synthesize crucial hormones and neurotransmitters needed to support cognitive function. 

Mash hard-boiled eggs with a little mayo, mustard, and dill pickles and spread on whole grain bread for an easy egg salad sandwich. Or, for an at-home lunch, serve soft-boiled eggs with a grilled cheese sandwich sliced into fingers for dipping.

3. Legumes

Legumes, like lentils or beans, can be challenging for many kids to enjoy. But these powerhouse foods are packed with nutrients, such as thiamine, vitamin B6, and folate for red blood cell production and iron transport, providing oxygen to your child’s brain. 

A great way to get your kids to gobble up their beans is by turning them into crispy croquettes. Simply cook and mash white beans, add a little garlic, salt, and pepper, and roll the mix into golf ball-sized croquettes. Coat in wholemeal breadcrumbs and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for 10 mins on each side, until golden brown. 

Pack the croquettes in your kid’s lunchbox with a Greek yogurt dipping sauce and some veggie sticks.

4. Green Vegetables

Green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, including spinach, kale, and broccoli, are chock-full of vitamin K, lutein, folate, beta carotene, and antioxidants, which have been shown to slow cognitive decline and boost memory power.

Green vegetables can be a hard sell for younger kids. Try blending steamed, frozen kale into a fruit smoothie. Or, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of Himalayan salt and bake to create kale chips - the perfect lunchbox snack. 

5. Dark Colored Fruits

Fruit is an excellent source of energy to keep kids going throughout the day, but darker colored fruits, like blueberries, strawberries, and plums, contain high levels of phenols and antioxidants to support brain health. 

Pair plain or vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt with fresh sliced blueberries for a delicious, nutritious dessert after lunch. Or, to make a tasty salad your kids will love, toss sliced strawberries with corn, celery, lettuce, and grilled chicken and drizzle with a balsamic vinaigrette.

6. Oily Fish

Oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, and tuna, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, reducing inflammation and providing the building blocks for brain cell production. Unfortunately, many kids don’t get enough omega-3’s to support brain health.

You can boost your kid’s oily fish intake with simple recipes like whole grain tuna fish sandwiches, grilled salmon tacos, or fry up trout fillets and serve with a creamy dipping sauce.