Mental health is a vital component of your child’s overall health. No matter kids’ ages, they can be affected by depression and other mental health disorders. National Suicide Prevention Week is Sept. 6-12, and incorporating nutritious food into your family’s diet empowers everyone on the road to wholeness.
Focus on these Foods
Fish. Researchers now know that omega-3s can improve mood problems by influencing the brain’s “happy-making” neurotransmitters. Implement eating 3-oz. servings of fish two to three times per week.
- Dinner: Salmon or tuna burgers or bitesized portions served on skewers with various veggies.
- Lunch: Fish tacos made with tilapia, cabbage, tomatoes, onions and sauce.
- Snack: Tuna salad with whole grain crackers.
Flaxseeds. If your kiddos don’t get enough vitamin B6, their mood might not be all it could be. Furthermore, vitamin B6 deficiencies are linked to depression. Boost vitamin B6 with flaxseeds.
- Breakfast: Smoothie mixed with ground flaxseeds, milk, yogurt, berries and bananas.
- Lunch: Vegetable soup with flaxseeds sprinkled over.
- Snack: Vanilla yogurt with flaxseeds and granola.
Whole grain cereal. Nearly 40 percent of people diagnosed with depression have folic acid deficiencies. The good news is research indicates when they start increasing their folic acid intake, they begin to feel better. Aim to consume whole-grain breakfast cereals because they are fortified with a daily supply in just 1 cup. “Eating cereal before going off to school is a part of our routine that my kids rely on and have even started initiating without my morning reminder,” says Riley, a mother of two, from Kansas City, MO.
- Breakfast: A cup of folic acid-fortified cereal with a cup of milk
- Snack: Whole grain cereal bars baked together with brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nuts and cranberries.
Lifestyle mental health tips
- Before school, give your kids some good happy words of encouragement to propel them toward a great day. You and your kiddos could also come up with a creative pledge of positivity and encouragement for them to recite out loud.
- Eat regularly. Help your kids with scheduling their meals at regular intervals by implementing three meals a day with snacks in between. Having too much time between meals may stir up cranky moods. Most importantly, eating regularly is the best way to ensure kids get a steady supply of mood enhancing nutrients throughout the day.
All KC kids have hard work ahead of them as they grow and learn. Build them up with good nutrition, as well as your sincere love and support.
Amy Hundley is a registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed in both Kansas and Missouri, and a published freelance nutrition writer. She is currently practicing as a clinical RD and has been a resident of Olathe since early childhood.
As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.
Sources: eat right, ncib.org, National Institutes of Health