Best Healthy Snacks for Your Kid’s ADHD-Friendly Diet and Worst Foods to Avoid

Kids who have ADHD benefit from the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that fruit provides. Vitamin C and folate, in particular, play a direct role in helping brain function, says Lemond. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), orange juice, oranges, and strawberries are all good sources of vitamin C, and they’re all smoothie-friendly. For folate, try adding mango, spinach, and avocado. Bananas, another smoothie staple, are rich in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which aids in the formation of neurotransmitters that affect behavior, says Lemond.

Try making a fruit smoothie from fresh fruit and yogurt. Blend bananas, strawberries, orange juice, and ice in the blender (or any other fruits and veggies); add some yogurt for thickness; and serve. Choosing nonfat Greek yogurt will give your smoothie extra protein. “Balancing protein with fruit slows down the digestion process of the fruit, which helps release energy from the food more steadily,” says Lemond. However, more protein is not necessarily better when it comes to kids, so there’s no need to add protein powder on top of the yogurt. “A typical school-age child really only needs 7 to 15 g of protein per meal,” she adds.