Q: I AM a first-time mother, I am interested to know what food I should be feeding my two-year old daughter to boost brain power.

A: Healthy eating and good nutrition are the foundations of growth and development. The first few years of life are growing phases for the development of many abilities such as visual centres of the brain and language abilities.

Encourage your child to eat a variety of food to ensure a good balance of nutrients needed for optimum health and development.

Fish is a food of excellent nutritional value, providing high quality protein and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Children should increase their intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids by eating more fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines. However, you should also take note that some of these fishes can have high mercury and other heavy metal contents.

Scientific studies have indicated that three fatty acids namely, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (AA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) found in marine fish oil and evening primrose oil are essential to achieve optimal neural development (brains) and visual acuity (eye development).
DHA is the primary structural component of tissue in the brain and retina of the eye. It is particularly important during the first two years of life and early childhood when the brain and eyes are rapidly growing and developing. Meanwhile, AA is required for normal transmission of messenger along nerves and proper memory function.

There are a variety of fish oil supplements but it is important to get a formula that provides a combination of DHA, GLA and AA which help in learning ability, concentration and coordination. A daily intake of 140-280mg of DHA is beneficial

Apart from that, you may also incorporate organic spirulina 500mg in her diet. Organic spirulina, a blue-green algae, is a rich source of complete protein, vitamins and minerals essential for health.

Protein provides the building block for nerves and brain, helps build and repair body tissues and is needed for growth and development of children.