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Food for Kids With ADD

Although the vast majority of medical doctors aren't sure where Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) comes from--be it genetics or based on how a child is raised--most are convinced that elimination of food additives and refined sugars in a child's diet reduce the symptoms and allow dramatic improvement. Knowing how to control the disorder through diet alone is important for parents and their child; pharmaceutical drugs should be an option of last resort. Substituting healthy foods is the first step.

  1. Fruits and Vegetables

    • Serve organic fruits and vegetables, for a number of reasons. They have no refined sugars or additives--assuming they are truly organic. They're also all very healthy for a child's body in general, and they help the child develop a taste for these foods later in life. Good eating habits are the most important things to set up at this age. Fruits will be easier to convince them to eat because they have natural sugars. Vegetables will be more difficult, but if vegetables are mixed in with other foods--such as macaroni or sandwiches--it will be easier. Children should have five servings of these per day.

    Lean Proteins

    • Make eggs in the morning, a good way to get a child to eat a couple servings of protein. This will replace the high-additive, refined sugar diet they had gotten in the past through, say, cereals. If eggs aren't a possibility, fish or chicken should be on the menu in some form or fashion, though served in a healthy way. In other words, KFC or McNuggets don't serve to fill the lean proteins quota. Beef is a good option; try fajita meat at a "healthier" Mexican restaurant, as it's already cut up, and kids can eat what they want then. You can save it to be served later.

    Whole Grain Snacks

    • Know that the most important small meals to replace are snacks and candy, the source of many ADD flare-ups. Serve pretzels, carrots, crackers and cheese--anything small and good for a few bites at least, instead of candy. Grocery stores that understand the organic concept are good places to investigate unique children's snacks. Tiger's milk protein bars are a good option; they're healthy, rich with protein (filling the above food group) and have all-natural sugars. The real secret here may be psychology. If your child doesn't know it isn't like the candy he has eaten in the past, he'll probably eat it and like it. And then you've won the battle.

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