FENNIES BLOG

Nutrition

Food & Mood- How Diet Can Affect Children’s Mental Health

Fennies are proud to be accredited by the Early Years Nutrition Partnership (EYNP) for our menus and contribution to supporting good nutrition in the early years. We are delighted to bring you regular nutrition updates and evidence-based articles written by our Registered Nutrition Professionals from EYNP, Janet Aylott and Catherine Lippe.

This month’s topic: Food and Mood – how food can affect children’s mental health

Many studies highlight links between diet and mental health in children. These studies suggest that a healthy diet can support better mental health whereas a low-quality diet is more likely to be linked to poor mental health.

In this blog, we share with you 5 ways you can support your child’s mental health with food.

Eat regular meals and snacks

Add healthy fats to the diet

The brain needs healthy fats in order to function properly. Omega 3 and omega 6 fats, which are found in oily fish, nuts and seeds especially walnuts, linseeds and rapeseed oil are particularly beneficial for mental health. If your child eats fish, aim to include 1 or 2 portions of oily fish per week. It is best not to offer oily fish more than twice per week. If your child doesn’t eat fish try adding a milled seed mix or nut butters to porridge, desserts or baking. Cooking with walnut or rapeseed oil is another good way to added omega fats to the diet.

Include lots of colour in your diet

Look after your gut

Research suggests there is a connection between the gut and the mind, this is sometimes called the gut-brain axis. This is a two-way pathway where our mind can affect the gut (like when you get butterflies in your tummy if you are feeling nervous or anxious) but also that the gut can affect the mind.

It is suggested that looking after your gut health can help to improve your mood. Including lots of variety particularly from plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans, pulses, as well as natural yoghurt and other probiotics is a good way to look after gut health.