What Food To Give And Not Give To A Hyperactive Child

It is often difficult to understand or predict the mood of children. There are times when they are the world’s most adorable angels, and there are days when they are the most hyperactive little buggers. Parents, nannies, and guardians should realize though that children’s behavior can also be a direct result of the types of food they eat. Their temperaments and energy levels in the afternoons and evenings are often affected by what they ate during breakfast, lunch, and snack time.  

Here are some examples of food that should not be given to children on days when you expect them to be on their best behavior:

Most Kinds of Candy

There are two culprits in candy. One is sugar. The other is food coloring.

Sugar is practically fuel for the body. It increases blood sugar levels and sends the insulin production to overdrive. This results to a sugar rush that’s soon followed by something like food coma.

You can expect them to be super playful, running all over the place, yelling and laughing. It’s going to be later that they will drop flat on the floor and be drained of energy.

As for food coloring, the US Food and Drug Administration has advised parents, especially of children diagnosed with ADHD, to stay away from food with additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG), flavoring, and coloring. Not only are they non-nutritious, but these substances are also believed to have negative effects on the body in the long run.

Basically, parents need to avoid giving food items with large quantities of sugar and additives, like the following examples too:

-       Bubblegum

-       Marshmallows

-       Any candy that’s flavored and colored

-       Fizzy drinks

-       Ice cream

-       Flavored fruit juices

Chips

The main thing to avoid in most chips is the copious amounts of sodium or salt.

It can also lead to the depletion of vitamins and minerals. In addition to salt, chips and cracker snacks also have lots of MSG. Be wary of chips and other junk food that are advertised to contain certain vitamins and minerals too. Even if they do contain those essentials, the quantities are most likely negligible especially in light of the salt content of each serving of junk food.

See Also: No More Toys with Fast Food Meals Unless They Meet Nutritional Standards for Calories, Sodium & Fat

We can also classify the following examples under this category:

-       All types of chips (corn chips, potato crisps, etc...)

-       Salty crackers

-       Tortillas

-       Any other salty food

Food That Hyperactive Children Should Eat

Now here are the kinds of food that you can give to children. These examples are not only nutritious, but they also have a calming effect on children:

Finger Food Veggies

Many parents are surely having a difficult time getting their kids to eat vegetables, but it really is a necessary hardship. Conditioning children to like vegetables at an early age is the key. Teach them to like carrot sticks or broccoli, for example. Many children seem to like these veggies, especially when there’s a yummy dip to go with them.  

Fruits

It’s harder to get kids to eat vegetables than fruits, so parents might have more success getting their kids to snack on fruits. Slices of apples, pears, bananas, strawberries (with dips too, if they need more convincing), mangoes and avocadoes are much, much better snack options than sugar cookies, chips, and other junk food.

As a result, kids don’t have that sudden surge of energy that makes them restless. They remain active and alert during the day, but they don’t go through that intense “high” that makes them hyperactive, even unmanageable at times.

Fiber-rich cereals

Paired with skim milk or low-fat milk, cereal is a good food choice for children as long as parents choose a high-fiber cereal brand and not like the ones that are high in sugar, food coloring, and flavoring. Whole grain is also rich in Vitamin B complex, which is found to be effective at reducing stress and stabilizing neural activity. That’s why some ADHD children given Vitamin B complex supplements by their doctors.

Sandwiches

Kids tend to feel full after eating one sandwich. When they are full, they are less likely to ask for more snacks, particularly sweets. Use whole grain bread when possible.

Add coleslaw and tomatoes or low-fat cheese. Peanut butter is also a good option. It is rich in protein, which is another form of sustainable energy. It gives kids the energy to go through with school and other activities without making them uncontrollably hyperactive.

See Also: Food Additives that May Affect ADHD

Milk

Milk contains magnesium, which is calming to the nervous system. It is also rich in calcium, which children need a lot of in their young age.

Presentation is a very strong factor for children’s choices in food. When they see a pack of candy and a plate of apple slices, there is always a higher chance that they’ll go for the candy. Parents are advised to do grocery shopping without their kids to avoid all sorts of arguments (and embarrassing tantrums in the junk food aisle). If they are present during shopping, avoid going to sections where there’s plenty of processed and unhealthy food.

Of course, it won’t hurt to give children sweet treats every now and then. Just let them pick out a treat at the checkout counter where the selection is more limited. You can reserve ice cream and cake for special occasions. That way, your children will also learn not to crave for these sugar-rich desserts every other day.