Brain Food in a Lunch Box

What happens to your child at 2pm? Are they sitting in class and their brains go fuzzy? They begin to drift out the window or become glassy- eyed whilst looking at the back of their bestie’s hair? Do they want to rest their head and tell the teacher and the world to go away? They are not alone. Check out what happens around a boardroom or an office at around 3 pm. It’s Noddy land with fog everywhere. Eyes are open but no one is home. The first question we should ask ourselves if that is happening is have you eaten enough? Most people worry when asked that question.  They think that the nutritionist really isn’t concerned about their weight. Far from it! It is those people who are eating nutrient-dense meals, three times per day, who tend to have consistent, healthy weight. Forget weight for now. What we want is for our kids to have enough energy, happy hormones, and a robust immune system to get them through the day and not arrive home each day in a puddle of tears or on a pyschopsycho sugar swing. Happy hormones like serotonin can be encouraged just by what foods we eat. Serotonin is created from tryptophan (amino acids found in quality proteins) along with the combination of certain B vitamins. Don’t give yourself Back to School-itis. Try to consistently ensure five nutrition tips every day.

Do This.... Evidence Based Reasons Why....
Eat a breakfast with some protein in it. Eggs, peanut butter, milk or almond milk smoothie, grain toast with avocado and cheese. Low sugar muesli with oats and seeds. Protein doesn’t have any added sugar and keeps your blood sugar stabilised. It is filling.  White toast vs eating eggs?  Toast eater becomes ‘hangry’ (anger due to hunger) usually within a couple of hours
Pack a morning tea with some complex carb and a bit of protein together. Grain crackers with nut butter, quality muesli bar, homemade bliss ball , banana, apples and fruit or vegetables. Complex carbs provide vitamin B and energy.  Protein for lean muscle mass and the immune system. Low quality carbs for brain fuel.
Bring water in a ‘well liked’ water bottle. Remind them to refill it.  If they like the bottle they will tend to drink more. Dehydration can lead to constipation and brain fog.  Hydrated kids are more alert, have better skin and energy levels.
Create a lunch that is loved. Try a healthy sandwich on a roll full of their favourite protein: egg, tuna, salmon, ham, cheese.  This is again a combo of carb and protein. Alternate days with a lunch thermos packed with your leftover dinner from the night before. Kids love a stir fry! If it is not enjoyed it will not be eaten and low blood sugar will create a low energy, bad mood,  and possibly exhausted kids in the afternoon.
Add fun into the lunch box.  When you create low sugar muffins, cookies, protein balls, and cakes, make enough for a few school days. Making snacks at home allows you to control the ingredients and is often cheaper.  Packaged snacks are often high in added sugars, additives and preservatives. Additives and preservatives are energy zappers and may be responsible for your child’s asthma and stuffy nose.

The philosophy at A Healthy View (www.ahealthyview.com) is simple  - no fads, no extremes, just good health.  Michele Chevalley Hedge is a qualified nutritionist, writer, and presenter. Michele’s business, A Healthy View, has patients from all over the world in her clinics or phone and Skype consults. A Healthy View has personal consults, cleanses, retreats, and speaks weekly on wellbeing at corporates and school. For more excellent recipes and a copy of Michele’s latest book, The Healthy Hormone Diet, go to /healthy-hormones/  The philosophy at A Healthy View eating should be so easy, tasty, and nourishing that it becomes a habit not a fad way of eating.

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