Back to School Brain Food

It's back to school time!  Pretty soon my Facebook page will be filled with picture of my friends' kids, smiling on the front porch, backpack and lunch sack in hand.  At least, I hope they'll have a lunch sack!  Before you send your kids off to school to feed their little genius brains, stock them up with some food that will actually help them learn.

You know I love the concept of functional food.  When I was in school I would actually research what kinds of food would be best to eat before a test, following a hunch that there had to be a connection between the energy my brain had to work off of and the ability of it to function at high capacity.  It was also a good compensation for not studying.  I was a terrible student and needed all the test-taking help I could get!  My cringe-worthy PSA-style video on the same subject is probably now at the bottom of a dusty pile of VHS archives in my high school.  I still remember the manager of the local grocery store kicking me and a friend out for attempting to videotape her holding a piece of fish.  Fish is brain food, btw.

So I really enjoy putting together my son's lunch for school and include foods that are high in antioxidants like berries and spinach.  Yes, he eats the spinach. I also include mac and cheese or homemade pizza.  It makes me feel good that I'm doing something to create an environment condusive for learning, and since my child is a genius it is obviously working. HA! :)

But while I always knew that antioxidant-rich foods like dark-colored greens and fruits were healthy, I didn't really understand why that was.  This video really sums it up and drives home why a lunchable and pudding cup are more sabotage than treat for your little Einstein.

Good day!