Healthy Eating that Boosts Student Performance

As the back-to-school season kicks off, students are often juggling a busy schedule of academic work, extracurricular activities, and social life. Amid this hustle, there’s a key factor that can significantly influence their success – it’s nutrition. Did you know that a balanced, healthy diet directly impacts brain health and as a result, cognitive function, concentration, and overall performance in school?

It’s not new that healthy eating has benefits, but students can especially benefit by fueling the brain with essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins, like B12. These nutrients can enhance memory, learning, and problem-solving skills. Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins provide the body with sustained energy, preventing the energy crashes that processed, sugary snacks often cause.

The importance of brain health extends beyond academic performance. When students consume nutrient-rich foods, it supports their mental well-being, reducing stress and anxiety. A well-nourished brain improves focus and helps with better emotional regulation, allowing students to manage the pressures of their studies more effectively.

Start with Healthy Food

The energy to focus and absorb new lessons stems from our brain health and it plays a vital role in learning performance. At Dana, we aim to make good food easily accessible on campuses, helping students make smart dietary choices every day. We strive to incorporate locally sourced and sustainable ingredients that also support brain health into our menus.

A good mind starts with good food, a healthy brain starts with healthy food.

One of the ingredients we use often is chia seeds. These tiny seeds are a sustainable food source and nutritional powerhouse, grown with eco-friendly practices. They offer a long shelf life and no part of the seed goes to waste. These can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, baked goods, and cereals for an extra nutrition boost to fuel the brain throughout the day!

Healthy Doesn’t Mean Complicated

Often, it can feel overwhelming or complicated to create healthy meals, but remember, healthy food doesn’t need to be complicated. Nutritious meals can be quick and easy recipes that provide quality nutritional content without taking up a lot of time.

Making small changes to build a healthy dietary pattern throughout the academic year can help students improve their cognitive function and learning experience. Breakfast is a great place to start healthy. Here’s a quick and healthy recipe that we love!

Pumpkin Chia Pudding Recipe

One of the most common recipes made from chia seeds is chia pudding. This quick and easy healthy breakfast incorporates chia seeds and can be adapted to a variety of dietary needs and preferences and takes under 15 minutes to prepare.

Recipe Steps:

Dietary restrictions: This recipe can easily be adapted for those who are lactose intolerant by substituting the milk for a dairy alternative milk such as almond milk or coconut milk.

Seasonal inspirations: You can adapt this recipe with in-season produce such as topping the pudding with pumpkin or sunflower seeds in the fall and swapping these out for other seasonal ingredients.

This chia pudding can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge and provides a quick, easy to-go breakfast meal that supports a healthy brain.

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