A toddler’s brain is said to develop trillions of connections during this short span of time and to help it along, good nutrition is a requirement! If you’re a parent, you’d probably be doing everything you can to ensure that your young child takes in nutritious, brain-boosting foods, but it may not be that easy for toddlers are known to be picky and finicky in their eating habits.
The good news is, some foods, in particular, seem to contain certain nutrients that are known to help in a child’s brain development. So, it would be good for what they are and how best to include them in your little one’s diet so that it’ll seem more appealing and appetizing.
Grain for the brain: Oats
Child nutrition experts refer to oats as ‘grain for the brain’ because this versatile food is found to fuel the brain — just the thing little ones need in the morning before heading out to playschool! Since oats contain healthy fibers, they keep active little ones feeling fuller and satisfied for longer too. Packed with brain-boosting nutrients such as vitamin E, B-vitamins, potassium, and zinc, eating oats or snacks made from oats will help a toddler’s brain to function better.
Here are three ways your toddler can enjoy some yummy oats:
Oat & grain porridge
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup Organic oatmeal
- 2 tbsp Organic quinoa
- 2 tbsp brown rice
- A pinch of cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Organic fruit puree
Method:
Grind whole oats, quinoa, and brown rice in the bowl of a food processor into a coarse flour. Cook until soft in milk. Add in cinnamon and vanilla essence, and top with junior’s favorite fruit puree.
Oaty banana muffins
Ingredients:
- 2½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 extra ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup wheat germ (optional)
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with spray or butter or use muffin liners.
- Using a food processor, grind the oats until they reach the consistency of flour.
- Add all other ingredients, and pulse until the batter has a smooth consistency.
- Distribute batter evenly in the muffin tin or liners (fill about 2/3 full).
- Bake 8–10 minutes, or until the tops gently bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out of the center of a muffin clean.
Easy oaty treat:
Buttery Baked Oatmeal
Place a cup of oatmeal in a greased 8×8 baking dish and smooth with a spatula to an even thickness. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to make, brush with melted butter and bake at 350ºF till just starting to turn golden brown. Spoon into bowls and top with yogurt and fruit.
Yummy & good: Yogurt
Yogurt is packed with protein and B-vitamins which are essential for the growth of brain tissue, neurotransmitters, and enzymes, all of which not only improve memory but keeps the little one alert. They are also a good source of protein and carbohydrates that provide much-needed energy for the brain. Plus, yogurt is also rich in probiotics, a kind of good bacteria that helps in digesting all those other brain-boosting nutrients!
Toddlers can also get a fair share of Vitamin D from good dairy yogurt, which benefits the neuromuscular system and the overall life cycle of human cells.
Milk: Don’t stop it
Modern-day growing up milk powders which are formulated specifically for these rapid-growing years are all enriched with different types of brain-boosting nutrients, all of which have been scientifically researched and proven to aid in the physical and mental development of toddlers. Ensure that your toddler continues with his or her milk-drinking habits for as long as possible because milk is, after all, a superfood of sorts not just for the brain, but for the whole body!
Not all toddlers take to the slightly sourish taste of yogurt, so get creative and get out those fruits and vegetables! Lightly sweeten plain yogurt with a little honey and let your little one use it as a dip for raw vegetable sticks such as celery, carrot, or even cut up fruits. You can even mash up your toddler’s favourite fruits and swirl them into a cup of plain yogurt for a powerful, brain-boosting breakfast!
Try this:
Yogurt pancake
Ingredients:
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 beaten egg
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp ground flaxseed
- A pinch of salt
Method:
- Mix the cinnamon, salt, baking powder, flaxseed, and flour in a bowl.
- Next, mix yogurt, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir in all ingredients together.
- Heat a pan and coat with butter.
- Pour batter in the warm pan and cook for 4 minutes each of the sides.
- Repeat the same with the other batches.
- Generously drizzle honey-sweetened yoghurt as the topping.
Lean on meat for brain power!
Lean beef is one of the best absorbed sources of iron, an essential mineral that helps with concentration. Interestingly, just an ounce of lean beef has been shown to help the body absorb iron from other sources too! Beef also contains zinc, another memory-boosting nutrient together with many other essential vitamins and mineral for growing bodies and minds.Try topping toddler-friendly pizzas with lean ground beef or stir-fry thin beef strips with your child’s favourite vegetables. Get some awesome kids-friendly recipes using beef at www.yummly.co
Serve them fatty fish!
Fatty fish such as tuna and salmon are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA — both of which are essential for proper development of the brain during the first few years of one’s life. Research has also shown that little ones who get more of these fatty acids in their diet have sharper minds and do better at mental skills tests! There are lots of ways to incorporate wholesome fatty fish into your toddler’s diet. For instance, you could just pack some tuna sandwiches for your child’s play-school lunchbox, or cut up some boneless fish fillets and add them into junior’s soups.
You can also try the following:
Pasta tuna with avocado mayo
Ingredients:
- 2 oz (¼ cup) of your toddler’s favourite pasta, cooked
- 1 tbsp canned light tuna
- ½ avocado (skin and pit removed)
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional as some toddlers may not like it)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Method:
- Prepare the mayonnaise by placing the avocado, lemon juice (if using) and olive oil in a blender and processing until smooth.
- Mix the cooked pasta in a bowl with the avocado mayonnaise, then add the tuna and mix well.
- Serve!
Eggs-cellent!
Popularly known as one of the easiest and best sources of protein, egg yolks are also packed with choline, a nutrient that helps in memory development. Needless to say, having a good memory makes learning and remembering easier.
There are so many ways a young child can enjoy eggs. Serve them scrambled, boiled, or as a yummy omelet! Eggs also go well with cheese, baked beans, tomatoes, etc.
Try this simply nutritious omelet!
Tomato & Cheese Omelet
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp skim milk
- 1 tbsp onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp red tomato, diced
- 1 tbsp cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
- Heat the oil in the skillet on low heat.
- Whisk eggs and milk until they start to foam, approximately three minutes.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and cover the pan.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about four minutes, until the bottom, is golden brown and the top is set.
- Sprinkle cheese, onions, and tomato over the top.
- Fold omelet in half with a spatula.
- Cook for about one more minute.
- Remove from skillet and serve.
Colorful berries
There is something about berries that make kids happy — Raspberries, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. Nutritionally, the more intense the color of a berry, the more nutritious it is. This family of fruits boasts high levels of antioxidants such as Vitamin C. Studies have shown improved memory with the extracts of blueberries and strawberries. The seeds from berries are a good source of omega-3 fats.
Chop some up and sprinkle onto your child’s breakfast cereal or yogurt for some added value. You could also serve up a fruit bowl of chopped berries as dessert instead of ice-cream of cookies!
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is rich in Vitamin E, which happens to be a potent antioxidant that protects nervous membranes. It also contains thiamin which helps the brain use glucose for the energy it needs. Spread some smooth peanut butter on a slice of toast and top with sliced bananas for a yummy twist from the conventional.
For an interesting snack, try this:
Ants on a log
If you’ve never heard of Ants on a log before, don’t blame yourself, for it’s not as popular here as it is in Western countries! It’s simply made of a piece of celery cut into manageable lengths (aka the log), with a dollop of peanut butter spread on it and a few raisins (the ants) sprinkled on top! It’s easy to prepare and little ones will love the way the crunch of the celery and the creaminess of the peanut butter compliment each other. It’s a great way to get kids to love celery, by the way!
