Kids truly are what they eat

Before prematurely diagno-sing a child with ADD or ADHD, an important point to ponder is the influence of diet on behaviour, as the symptoms of attention deficit (and/or hyperactive) disorder bear alarming resemblance to the symptoms of essential fatty acid (Omega 3 and 6) deficiency.

The vegetarian and “Fishitarian” lifestyles are abundant in these dietary fats, which promote optimal brain development and function. However, such practices are rarely applied when it comes to menu planning for children – yet they should be.

Roughly 60% of the brain is made up of fat – 35% of which is comprised of essential fatty acids. While scientific literature has repetitively suggested an inadequate supply of essential fats could compromise brain function, the hard fact remains that these fats are hard to come by. As humans and most mammals are unable to synthesize essential fats, we are therefore dependant on dietary sources from plants or marine mammals.

Omega 6 fatty acids are more easily obtained from a broad diet, but the same cannot be said for Omega 3, which concentrate in oily fish and seed oils, as well as green, leafy vegetables.

Vegetarians, who eat large quantities of nuts and seeds (especially flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and chia) as a substitute for meat, tend to consume high levels of Omega 3 fats. Seeing that seeds can so easily be added to the diet, this course of action seems the more practical approach for kids, than taking up what the ocean has on offer. It is highly unlikely that you would add a Tupperware of halibut or a squid sandwich to a school lunchbox.

Seeds aside, a basic switch from animal fats to plant fats – and a clear-out of highly refined and processed foods from your kitchen cupboards – could be the simple solution required to achieve optimum age-appropriate brain function.

Animal fats (such as marbled meat, skin of poultry, bacon, sausages, butter, lard and cream) contain mostly saturated fat, as well as some trans fats – the latter of which are also found in many refined snack foods, including biscuits, chips, pies, cakes and pastries. These fats are high in energy, but low in nutritional value. They are associated with heart disease and cholesterol imbalances and do not offer significant benefit to cognitive function.

Replacing animal fats with plant fats and opting for fruit, nuts and seeds, instead of trans-fat snacks, can thus add value to physical, as well as mental health.