Preparing for test day can be nerve-racking enough—help your kids out with these brain-boosting nutrition tips:
10. Eat breakfast: Academic achievement is more likely with regular meal consumption, especially breakfast. Breakfast-eaters score higher on standardized tests and have higher GPAs than peers who skip this meal.
9. Don’t forget the fruit: Students consuming two or more servings of fruit per day, especially berries, have been shown to have improved academic achievement. Berries are high in anthocyanins and other flavonoids, which improve brain health and memory.
8. Serve up the omega-3s: They’re linked to lower levels of beta-amyloid, the protein that forms damaging plaque in brains. Good sources include fish, flaxseed, edamame, chia seeds, and soybeans.
7. Reduce sugar and salt: Academic achievement, as evaluated by standardized testing, is connected to consuming less sugar and salt.
6. Go for green: Green leafy vegetables are high in antioxidants and Vitamin K, which are linked to better memory.
5. Pump up the iron: Iron deficiency is related to “brain fog” and impaired brain function. Foods high in iron include lean beef, oysters, chicken, turkey, legumes, tofu, and baked potatoes.
4. Keep the MIND Diet in mind: The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet encourages eating green leafy vegetables, berries, olive oil, whole grains, fish, beans, and poultry, and discourages consumption of butter and margarine, cheese, red meat, fried foods, pastries, and sweets.
3. Eat tomatoes on test-day : Tomatoes are high in lycopene, which may protect against cognitive decline.
2. Drink water for your wits: Our brains are about 75% water. Hydrate to think faster and stay focused. You can eat your water, too. Try foods like watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, and celery.
1. Practice balance, variety, and moderation: The most compelling aspect of research on brain health shows that a general healthy eating pattern, including regular meals, is most likely to have a positive impact on academic achievement.
