What does food you eat have to do with how the brain functions? Turns out an awful lot!
Whether you are needing a bit more focus in your job role or want to encourage greater concentration for your children at school, we are food experts providing a range of healthy, innovative and nutritious catering offers for our customers within both education and business & industry sectors. Our menus are varied so there’s lots of scope for our talented chefs to create dishes that include ingredients which will benefit the health and well-being of all our customers.
We have rounded up our top 5 brain foods you should be eating to feed both your mind and body.
Water
Let’s start with one of the most obvious but unfortunately still the most overlooked, water. The brain consists of 85% water. Even mild dehydration can cause fatigue, moodiness, headaches and problems concentrating.
Oily Fish
When people talk about brain foods, oily fish is often at the top of the list. This type of fish includes salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, pilchards and kippers. Oily fish is a rich source of omega-3s, a major building block of the brain. Omega-3s play a role in sharpening memory and improving mood, as well as protecting your brain against decline.
These EFAs are particularly essential for children and younger adults because they’re major building blocks in the development of the brain.
Avocado
Avocados are one of the healthiest fruits that you can consume and is also considered one of the top foods to improve brain function. They are rich in vitamin C and B which helps improve the cognitive function of the brain by boosting concentration and memory.
Did you know that avocados also have more potassium than a banana?
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate has countless benefits, including the ability to boost blood flow to the brain, release endorphins and reduces sleepiness. It is packed with a few brain-boosting compounds, including caffeine and antioxidants. It also contains magnesium, which helps to de-stress and stimulates the release of feel-good endorphins to heighten your mood – not to mention is still a sweet and tasty treat to enjoy!
Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most potent antioxidant-rich foods. They are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, fibre and are also high in gallic acid, which protects our brain against degeneration and stress.
These are a really easy one to add into your diet by sprinkling them on breakfast cereal, adding them to a smoothie or grabbing them on the go as a healthy snack!