3 Ways Your Child’s Diet Affects Their Learning

More and more research points to the fact that food has a huge impact on our well-being. Children, in particular, can greatly benefit from a healthful diet, especially when it comes to doing well in school. 

Getting the proper nutrients through food is a critical part of being able to learn. Foods that are packed with too much saturated fat, exorbitant amounts of sugar, or chemicals that you can’t even pronounce aren’t doing your childrens’ learning any favors. 

Here are some of the many ways that a poor diet can affect your child’s education. 

Lack Of Energy 

Recent studies have proven that children who have diets with high levels of sugar and saturated fat may have trouble staying energized. Because these foods are so difficult for the body to break down, children often burn out earlier during the day. 

Foods that are deep-fried, highly processed, or packed with sugar are actually draining your child’s ability to focus. Your child’s brain is directly impacted by the amount of glucose contained in the foods that they eat. 

After eating a healthy and balanced meal, which is mostly derived from natural ingredients, your child will be more likely to maintain energy throughout a longer period of time.

However, children who eat highly processed and heavy meals lacking in natural vitamins will usually have a drop in energy at some point. Remember, the point of nutrition is to energize the body, not drain it.  Think twice about whether the meal you’re feeding your child will help boost their energy levels or detract from them.

Malnutrition 

A lot of people mistake malnutrition with lack of food; however, in reality, malnutrition is not a lack of eating, but rather a lack of nutrients. When children are missing essential vitamins and minerals, they have more health issues in general. 

Since the brain depends greatly on essential nutrients to develop properly, malnutrition isn’t doing your child’s learning any favors. 

Beyond their academics, they also suffer socially, which can greatly impact their ability to stay focused in school.  

Hunger 

The frequency of children’s mealtimes is also equally important. Children who are given an insufficient amount of food throughout the day are less likely to be able to become strong students. Insufficient food levels aren’t only linked to lack of focus and energy, but also a higher rate of absences. 

In order for a child’s brain to work at its best potential, they must eat regular amounts of food throughout the day. 

As a general rule of thumb, children should eat three full meals a day. Anything less could be impacting not only their brain development but also the rest of their body’s ability to grow at a sufficient rate.