Nobody Wants Cranky, Unhealthy Kids
By Leslie Palmieri
It is critically important to your child’s brain development that they eat a healthy breakfast full of protein and good carbohydrates. Replace those sugary cereals with oatmeal and berries or eggs, whole grain toast and orange juice. Too much sugar can affect serotonin levels in the brain, which affects sleep, appetite, and mood.
Also, please send your kids to school with a healthy snack and lunch. Your kids are in school for many hours during the day and need the right fuel to keep them going. Healthy snacks are fruit, vegetables, nuts, hard boiled eggs, and other minimally processed foods. Please do not send chips, candy, energy drinks, or sugary granola bars. These unhealthy foods do nothing for your child’s brain in fact they can actually be harmful. Unhealthy foods can cause numerous health problems including obesity and diabetes. Thank you for investing in your child’s health. You are also investing in their future. Good eating habits start at a young age.
If you are not able to provide healthy food for your child, we can provide it at school. We have a free breakfast and lunch program plus one of our community partners brings healthy snacks for our students every day. There are also many community resources, such as our local food bank, that can provide food for the entire family.
Resources
- Lerche Davis, Jeanie. “Top Ten Brain Foods for Children.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/brain-foods-for-children#1
- Aubrey, Alison. “A Better Breakfast Can Boost a Child’s Brainpower.” NPR, 4 Sept. 2006, https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5738848
- Shelhub MD, Eva. “Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food.” Harvard Health Blog, 5 April 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
- Wolpert, Stuart. “Scientists learn how what you eat affects your brain-and those of your kids.” UCLA Newsroom , 9 July 2008, http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/scientists-learn-how-food-affects-52668