Brain Foods for Kids: Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence [Paperback]

Nicola Graimes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

After writing several award-winning health and nutrition titles that have had great success in the UK, Nicola Graimes makes her debut in the US market with the first book to focus on children and brain power and the foods that truly can improve intelligence and those that can hinder it. With her exciting positive twist on the link between the food that children eat and their mental development, Graimes offers parents new ways and reasons to give their children (from pregnancy through primary school) and the essential foods and nutrients they require.

BRAIN FOODS FOR KIDS includes:

-A clear and easy-to-follow introduction to the principles of good childhood nutrition and information on all the latest science on brain-boosting foods

-Practical, kid-tested advice on incorporating the essential foods into a child-friendly diet

-Special "brain-box" features to explain the health-giving, mind-boosting properties of each of the featured dishes

-Teaches how to recognize foods containing additives and pesticides, and how to choose healthy, nutritious ingredients

-Advice on using diet to control and avoid behavioral problems such as ADHD

Graimes divides the book into two sections. The first is full of advice, bursting with color photographs and helpful scientific facts as palatable for adult readers as the recipes are for their children. The second part covers more than 100 recipes for every meal of the day, parties, picnics, and plenty of delicious snacks. And the perforated at-a-glance weekly menu planner can be torn out for posting on the fridge.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in London in 1962, Nicola Graimes has been an editor, journalist and author for the past 20 years and has written numerous books based on health, nutrition, organic food and children's diets. She was editor of The Vegetarian, Vegetarian Living and Good Food Retailing. Her book, Great Healthy Food for Vegetarian Kids was awarded Best Vegetarian Cookbook 2002 in the UK. She is married with two young children and lives in Brighton, Sussex, England.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Here is a sample recipe from over 100 that are included in Brain Food For Kids. These recipes have been created with children in mind, but can also be enjoyed by adults. They contain the foods that are said to be the most beneficial for the brain, and in some instances have been shown to improve IQ, memory, attention span, and concentration.

AVOCADO DIP

Crunchy raw vegetables seem to be more acceptable to many children, and dipping them into this nutritious garlicky guacamole adds to the appeal.

Serves 24
1 ripe medium-size avocado
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mayonnaise
various raw vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, cucumber, celery, baby corn, carrots, snow peas

1 Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh out of the skin. Transfer the flesh to a blender or processor and add the garlic, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Process until the dip is the consistency you prefer. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a bowl and mash together.

2 Prepare the vegetables to dip into the avocado mixture: cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets; de-seed the peppers and cut into strips; cut celery, cucumber, and carrots into sticks, and leave snow peas and baby corn whole. You may wish to blanche the snow peas or corn slightly first. Serve with the dip.


Brain Box

Although avocados are fairly high in fat, it is the beneficial monounsaturated type. Avocados are best eaten when just ripe to get the full benefit of their antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, which protect brain cells against destructive free radicals. They also contain B-complex vitamins for memory and clarity of thought.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Delta; First Edition edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553383353
• ISBN-13: 978-0553383355
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.4 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, March 18, 2010

By 

Mr. S. Bukbardis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brain Foods for Kids: Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence (Kindle Edition)

What a great book. All the recipes work and the kids loved every one I've tried.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great food book for kids, January 8, 2012

By 

Anne (Perkasie, PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brain Foods for Kids: Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence (Paperback)

I bought this several years ago and I refer to the content and recipes quite often. I have a lot of cookbooks, so the recipes in this book are more a goal than a reality, but it's got great info. The colorful pictures make the food tempting and interesting. Great book if you need a jump start to the feeding the kiddies the right way.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Tested on kids and it doesn't work, November 19, 2009

By 

A. Zinger (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brain Foods for Kids: Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence (Paperback)

I made almost every single recipe in this book and the kids liked only 2 or 3 dishes. It says that it has been kid-tested but I really wonder where and how because it didn't work in my household.