The kids may be taking the exams, but it’s your cool that’s being tested. Breathe, Mum.
You’ve done everything you can to prepare your not-so-little one for this. You’ve put in the extra tutoring hours, splurged for top enrichment classes, and gone through the entire study plan thrice already.
There's only one thing left that you can still do to help with exam preps: feed your child’s brain. Different nutrients can help boost energy, recall, overall brain function, and protect the brain against free radicals.
These can be found in everyday ingredients – like garlic and peanuts! Read on to discover more, along with recipe ideas for dishing them up.
These nutritious, delicious brain food for students will give that extra boost – of confidence for you, and studying power for your little test-taker.
A+ Brain Food for Students
1. Spinach Breakfast Platter
Light but filling, this feast for the eyes – and the brain – is a great way to kick off the day and boost your child’s performance at school. It’s easy to assemble in the morning; plus you can use leftovers. Best of all, the star of this dish is a veggie (and the kids won’t even notice)!
Brain Power Ingredients:
- Spinach is packed with lutein, which is good for the eyes, and also protects against cognitive decline.
- Eggs are rich in choline, which is essential to brain development and enhancing memory.
- Include Whole Grains in the platter. They release energy much slower than other carbohydrate sources do, powering your child to study for long periods of time. Whole meal pita is a fun breakfast or snack option.
- Avocado is also a great addition to this breakfast bounty. It’s rich in monounsaturated fats, which increase blood flow to the brain.
Recipe:
4 servings, 25 minutes, Easy
Ingredients:
500g fresh spinach or baby spinach
200g portobello mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 sprig of thyme or 1 tsp thyme leaves
4 eggs
1 avocado
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
Click HERE to shop all the ingredients for this Spinach Breakfast Platter recipe from FairPrice On.
Preparation:
- Wash and pluck spinach into 4-inch lengths. (Just wash if using baby spinach.)
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Remove the stalk and the black gills from the mushrooms and set aside for use in a stock, salad, or soup.
- Heat oil and fry garlic till fragrant.
- Add in spinach with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and set aside on serving plate.
- Season the mushrooms with salt, pepper, and thyme; then sauté until brown and tender. Add to the serving plate.
- Serve with eggs (poached or sunny side up), sliced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes (fresh or cooked).
- Team this with some crumbled feta, slice of whole wheat toast, sausage, or your favourite relish for a bit of a change up.
2. Roasted Salmon and Vegetables with Cucumber Yoghurt Sauce
Yes, yoghurt can be savoury too! Expand your child’s palate as you expand his or her mind, with this interesting flavour combination. It’s a restaurant quality dish cooked right at home by Chef Mummy!
Brain Power Ingredients:
- The omega-3 fatty acids and protein in oily fish boost brain function. Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are top choices.
- Yoghurt contains good bacteria that help enhance decision-making and relieve anxiety.
Recipe:
4 servings, 60 minutes, Easy
Ingredients:
450g Russet potatoes, large cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
12 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes1 green bell pepper, de-seed and large cubes
1 medium carrot, large cubes4 salmon fillets, about 150g each
Salt and pepper to taste
Cucumber Yoghurt Sauce
1/2 cucumber, grated, and excess water squeezed out
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra sprigs for garnish (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
Click HERE to shop all the ingredients for this Roasted Salmon and Vegetables with Cucumber Yoghurt Sauce recipe from FairPrice On.
Preparation:
- Heat oven to 200ºC.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cucumber, yoghurt, dill, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Rinse salmon and pat dry.
- Add the potatoes, carrots and 1 tbsp of olive oil into an ovenproof dish or baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes until they start to brown.
- Toss the asparagus and bell pepper in with the potatoes, then return to the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Throw in the cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and nestle the salmon skin side down in the pan amongst the vegetables.
- Drizzle the remaining oil over the pan. Sprinkle with remaining minced garlic clove, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake until barely opaque in the center, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve everything scooped straight from the dish. Garnish with sprigs of dill.
3. Broccoli, Sage, & Cashew Pasta
The three 3 Fs of this dish – Fast, Filling, and Fun to eat – are actually what score it an A in our recipe book. Broccoli ups its health factor, and crunchy cashews sneak in the brain boost. We bet you’ll be whipping up this quick meal long after exam week is over. It’s that good – and easy!
Brain Power Ingredients:
- Cashews are great for enhancing recall thanks to their magnesium content. Load up on these roasted ones for snacking!
- Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which increase blood flow to the brain.
- Garlic doesn’t just pack a ton of flavour, it helps protect the brain too.
Recipe:
2 servings, 40 minutes, Easy
Ingredients:
6 cups broccoli florets
300g linguine (optional: whole wheat)
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1.25 tbsp miso
1/2 tbsp yeast extract
1 1/2 tsp tahini
1/4 tsp paprika powder
1 - 1 1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Click HERE to shop all the ingredients for this Broccoli, Sage, & Cashew Pasta recipe from FairPrice On.
Preparation:
- Rinse the broccoli and mince the garlic.
- Heat a few tablespoons of water in a pan over medium heat and add the broccoli, steaming until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt into the boiling water.
- Add the pasta into the pot and boil for about 8 to 10 minutes, cooking till soft. When done, drain, rinse, and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the cashews and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water. Blend until completely smooth.
- In a pan, heat the vegetable broth and add the garlic.
- Boil the broth and garlic for approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the cashew mixture, miso, yeast, tahini, and smoked paprika. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve the pasta onto plates, top with steamed broccoli and sauce. Serve warm, and enjoy!
