It is almost time for your kids to go back to school, and you may be wondering what you can do to give them the best opportunity to do well this year.

Sometimes the answer can be so simple that you don’t even realize it.

One of the best things you can do for you child during the school year is to provide them with the nutrition they need to succeed.

Breakfast

Starting the day off right with a healthy and filling breakfast is essential for growing and learning. Too often the morning can turn into a time crunch that leaves little chance for a healthy breakfast. Instead of turning to a quick, processed, sugary breakfast, feed your child (and yourself for that matter) some brain food, such as eggs, oatmeal, blueberries, almonds, and spinach.

Eggs- eggs are full of choline which is vital for the creation of memory cells, and the more cells we have the better our memory is.

Oatmeal- oatmeal has plenty of brain feeding glucose, and is full of whole grain carbs that digest slowly, and which will keep you full and alert for several hours.

Blueberries- not only are they delicious, but studies have found that they can help with learning and memory because of the high level of antioxidants. (1)

Almonds- almonds have high levels of vitamin e, which has been shown to prevent cognitive decline, boost alertness and preserve memory. (2)

Spinach- spinach contains antioxidants and phytochemicals that help improve blood flow and reduce inflammation. Good blood flow is critical for brain function.

Lunch

Lunch is also a great time to refuel the brain with essential nutrition.

Some great cold lunch options include whole grains, apples, avocado, walnuts and coconut water.

Whole grains- whole grains are easy to get into a cold boxed lunch, just make sure that your sandwich bread or tortilla wrap is actually made from whole grains. How can you tell? Look for the words 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat, anything else is usually not all whole grains. Also, check the ingredient list, the word “whole” should be before any grains.

Apples- apples contain high levels of acetylcholine, which help increase movement and sensory perception. Apples also reduce anxiety. One study showed that students who ate an apple at lunch showed a 7 point increase in test scores during afternoon exams. (3)

Avocados- avocados are great for blood flow, which means your brain will be flowing too!

Walnuts- walnuts are full of omega-3’s which are essential for normal brain function.

Coconut water- not only should you be thinking about what your child is eating, but you should think about what he is drinking. Coconut water is a great option because it is so hydrating. In fact, coconut water is able to hydrate the brain cells and improve their function as well as provide essential vitamins and minerals that you can’t get from plain water.

Chlorella

Sometimes, even when we try our best, or we just want to indulge a little, eating healthy is not always possible. In these cases, I like to think of Chlorella as a little insurance policy. Chlorella is a whole food supplement made from 100% green algae. Eating chlorella every day is similar to eating broccoli or spinach every day. It is so full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, that you can be sure you are getting everything you need every day. (4)