How Food Can Support Your Child’s Mental Wellbeing

My children at school supported @place2be, Children’s Mental Health Week 6-12th Feb. By organising "Dress to Express Day" to raise awareness of mental health in their school community. Place2Be believe every child should have access to mental health support whenever they need it and a safe space for students to open up, providing children with emotional skills to help deal with everything life throws at them.

During Children’s Mental Health Week, I shared useful tips on how nutrition can support your child’s mental health on my social media accounts.

For the launch of my website and my first blog post I thought I would summarise my tips to parents.

Top tips on how to support your child’s mental wellbeing

There is plenty of evidence linking unhealthy dietary patterns and poorer mental health in children and adolescents, leading them to show signs of depressive symptoms, low mood, anxiety and poor attention. 

More than 50% of all mental health disorders emerge before the age of 14 years, so it is so important to improve our children’s diet early. Scientific evidence has found that a nutritious diet results in better mental health.

You can start during pregnancy

Research has also discovered the importance of maternal pregnancy diet, as well as early childhood diet, on a child's mental wellbeing, incidence of anxiety and personality development. Pregnancy and early infancy can be the start of raising a bright and happy child. Small healthy changes to your diet during pregnancy, post-natal recovery and introducing healthy foods during weaning have a big impact on your child’s brain development. It’s important to take advantage of this golden window of opportunity when new brain cells are forming every day. Not only to support your child’s IQ, memory and attention but also their mental wellbeing.

These tips will also help Mums mental wellbeing during pregnancy and the early months of starting a family which can bring a mix of feelings and emotions.

Nutritious Breakfast & Lunch is so Important for Mental Wellbeing at School

Research found, types of breakfast and lunch eaten by both primary and secondary school pupils were significantly associated with wellbeing. When children miss a meal, blood sugar drops making them feel tired, irritable and leading to low mood. Children who ate a traditional breakfast experienced better wellbeing than those who only had a snack or drink, or worse, nothing at all. It is recommended to limit sugary cereals that cause a rapid blood sugar rise and fall. Choose slow-release energy foods like oats, wholegrain bread, nuts and seeds.

Children who return to classes without eating lunch, or having eaten an unhealthy lunch, are likely to suffer not only reduced academic performance but also poorer mental wellbeing. Try to include protein in lunches. Protein contains amino acids, which make up the chemicals in the brain responsible for regulating thoughts and feelings. It can also keep your child feeling fuller for longer.

Vitamin D is Essential in Supporting Mental Wellbeing

There is growing evidence that getting enough vitamin D all year round is essential in supporting our mental health. If you are deficient in vitamin D you may experience low mood and feel anxious, hopeless, overwhelmed and sad. Our bodies naturally produce vitamin D from direct sunlight when we are outdoors, however children's vitamin D is often low during the winter months as they spend less time outside.

 The good news is that there are plenty of ways to maintain a good level of vitamin D during the winter, naturally supporting our mental health. Eat plenty of foods high in vitamin D (oily fish which includes, salmon, mackerel, sardines, red meat, egg yolk, liver, fortified milk and dairy. Take a Vitamin D supplement, recommended by the NHS. Spend some time outside can boost your children’s mood and support their mental health.

Omega 3 Supports Brain Function and Mental Wellness

Our brains need fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 to keep working well. Omega-3 is vital for brain function and development and is also believed to be responsible for helping to regulate mood and contribute to wellbeing. It is important not to avoid all fats and to encourage your children to eat the right fats. Healthy fats are found in poultry, oily fish (mackerel, salmon), nuts (walnuts, almonds), olive and sunflower oils, seeds (sunflower and pumpkin), avocados, milk, yoghurt, cheese and eggs. Oily fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, making it one of the top brain-feeding foods. This group includes salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring. Unfortunately it can be tricky to get children to eat these foods! Over the next couple of months I will share some recipes to help you sneak in healthy fats in such a tasty way, they won't object.

Looking after your Gut can Help your Mental Wellbeing

The behaviour of your child's gut microbiome can be linked to how they feel emotionally. If your child is stressed or anxious, this can affect their digestion, leading to diarrhoea or constipation.

The Gut Microbiome, is trillions of microbial organisms, including beneficial bacteria, living in the human gut.

The gut microbiome constantly interacts with the brain. Dietary habits can affect the gut microbiome. A diet low in fibre and high in saturated fats, refined sugars and artificial sweeteners can create an unhealthy gut microbiome, which has been linked to poor mental wellbeing.

The good news is that we can boost beneficial bacteria by eating plenty of fibre found in broccoli, beans, peas, chickpeas, oats, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, almonds, walnuts, sweet potato, wholemeal pasta. Eat more colourful fruit and vegetables high in polyphenols and healthy fats found in poultry, oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive and sunflower oils, avocado, dairy and eggs. Recent studies have found that a healthy gut microbiome can improve the brain’s response to emotional tension and may even help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Boost their B Vitamins

When a child’s diet is low in B vitamins, their chance of experiencing low mood and irritability increases. Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play an important role in producing brain chemicals that can improve mood and other brain functions. Therefore low levels may be linked to poor mental wellness. Foods rich in B vitamins include, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Leafy green vegetables (such as cabbage, kale, spring greens and spinach), Peas, Chickpeas and kidney beans, Meat (especially liver), Seafood, Poultry, Eggs, Dairy products.

Vegan diets are low in B12 because it is mainly found in animal products such as liver, beef, chicken, fish and shellfish (such as trout, salmon, tuna, clams), milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs. It is important for vegans to use bioavailable B12 supplements in order to support mental wellbeing.

It can be hard to get children to eat some of these foods, especially dark leafy greens. I try to add kale or spinach to my recipes but my son will never try them!

Too Much Sugary Snacks can have a Negative Effect on our Child’s Mental Wellbeing

 Eating too much sugar can affect your child’s appetite, immune system and sleep. This can then affect their mood. There is evidence that high sugar intake can trigger mental health issues in children. A diet high in sugar includes "white carbohydrates" (white flour, white pasta and white bread), processed snacks, sweet yoghurts and sugary drinks. 

 White carbohydrates and sugary foods don’t contain many key nutrients which are important in supporting mental health, such as Omega-3, zinc, magnesium, iron and the B vitamins.

It is really important to limit the intake of ultra-processed foods, often high in sugar. There are links with individuals who consume too much processed foods often feel more mentally unhealthy and anxious.

 Essential to give children more foods containing protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, they are full of the key building blocks to their mental wellbeing, please keep reading and I will explain how. The research found that children who consumed five or more portions of fruit and veg a day had the highest scores for mental wellbeing. Fruit and vegetables are rich in the vitamins and minerals that support brain function, helping to keep us mentally healthy.

Boost your Child’s Magnesium

Magnesium can be helpful in stabilizing a child’s mood. Symptoms of deficiency include agitation, anxiety, irritability, confusion and sleeplessness. Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, wholegrain bread, brown rice, dairy products, almonds, cashews, peanuts, sesame and sunflower seeds, meat, seafood and fish.

Include Zinc Rich Foods in your Child’s Diet

Studies have found low zinc could be linked to some mental health problems. Zinc can help raise levels of "happy hormone" GABA, thereby reducing symptoms of anxiety. The best source of zinc is oysters, red meat and poultry. Other good sources are beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy products.

Iron is Important for Mental Wellness

Iron is an essential element for the brain functions linked to psychological behaviours.Low iron levels are linked to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Good sources of iron are red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans (especially kidney beans), chickpeas, dark green leafy vegetables (especially spinach), nuts, dried fruit (such as apricots).

In the next couple of blog posts, I will share recipes that can support you or your child’s mental wellbeing, enjoy!