The article below reviews medical research related to diet and neurodivergence. As a reminder, under no circumstances does Life Skills Advocate recommend that you begin dietary changes without consulting you or your child’s medical care team. Always seek medical advice from a trusted professional experienced in working with children with unique needs.
We’ve all heard about healthy nutrition, right? But what exactly does that look like and why is it so important?
Nutrition plays a huge role in our health and development. Having good nutrition and eating high-quality foods are related to a stronger immune system, safer pregnancy and birthing, decreased risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), increased longevity, and nourishment of the brain.
When nutrition is limited over time, certain health risks can increase. These include obesity, increased risk for heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
Click here to jump down to the TL;DR summary.
Science Behind Nutrition, Diet, & Executive Functioning
A healthy diet is one of many important ways to support your cognitive health. Day-to-day operations, also known as executive functions, include planning, organization, and self-control. These skills work better when your brain has steady fuel from a balanced diet.
Short-Term Impacts
In the short term, a balanced and nutrient-rich diet can enhance attention, focus, and emotional regulation. Meals with carbs, protein, and healthy fats can steady blood sugar, which may help attention. This is one reason why starting the day with a balanced breakfast is so important!
Blood sugar swings can be linked with irritability and less consistent impulse control for some people.
Consuming foods that maintain glycemic balance, such as whole grains and fiber-rich options, can improve emotional regulation and mood stability.
Nutrients like B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants play a huge part in supporting brain function. These nutrients enhance mental clarity, reduce brain fog, and lessen fatigue, making it much easier to be engaged and alert throughout the day.
Long-term Impacts
Maintaining a consistent diet full of whole grains, fish, fruits, and vegetables are associated with healthy brain development and cognitive resilience.
Nutrient-rich diets support our ability to remember information, reason, and think flexibly. Whereas those with diets high in sugars and processed foods report higher symptoms of anxiety, depression, and difficulties with attention.
Unfortunately, many modern diets rely heavily on processed foods, which are high in simple carbohydrates, sugars, and fats. These foods often have less fiber and fewer key nutrients. Over time, poor nutrition not only affects mental performance, but also increases the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
What Does “Good Nutrition” Look Like?
Perhaps you think a healthy diet is eating mostly vegetables and fruits.
You might picture “healthy eating” as only greens and skipping dressing.
You have the belief, “Well, if I just eat salads and fruits, I’ll be ‘doing it right’ if I only eat salads.”
But research supports the contrary!
Good nutrition is a balance.
Include a mix of foods from several groups, in amounts that work for you.
Harvard recommends creating a balanced healthy plate when eating. This looks like:
- Vegetables and fruits are ½ of your plate. Remember to “eat the rainbow” and choose foods of varying colors and textures.
- Whole grains are ¼ of your plate. Aim to include intact grains such as: whole wheat, barley, wheat berries, quinoa, oats, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta. Choose whole grains more often than refined options like white bread or white rice.
- Proteins are ¼ of your plate.If you eat meat, choose lean cuts more often and keep processed meats occasional such as poultry and fish. If vegetarian, opt for options of nuts, beans, and tofu.
Developing a Healthy, Nutritious Plate
So we know we can take control of our health by developing a balanced, nutritious plate. Following a template such as the one below provides a good visual representation of how we should make our plate, but there’s certainly much more to it than just that.
ADHD & Dopamine
People with ADHD may have lower levels of the brain chemical, dopamine. Dopamine plays a huge role in memory, motivation, attention, mood and even sleep. Dopamine affects reward and focus. Many people with ADHD notice food can feel especially rewarding.
When a person eats sugary and carbohydrate-rich foods, this sends a temporary rush of dopamine to the brain. This can make high-sugar foods feel especially rewarding, which many people notice in moments of stress or low energy.
Over time, intense cravings and eating past fullness can make it harder to establish and maintain balanced eating habits.
This is why it’s important for neurodivergent individuals to learn about the importance of nutrient-rich diets on cognitive functioning, and learn ways to self-monitor their food intake.
Create a Supportive Food Environment
Healthy eating habits depend on executive functioning skills like self-restraint, motivation, and careful planning. Individuals with ADHD may struggle with these skills that require executive functioning.
This creates a frustration cycle: the very skills needed to make healthy food choices may be the ones that require support.
One effective strategy is to intentionally create a home environment that supports healthy eating choices. Keeping sweets and salty snacks out of sight and stocking easy nutrient-dense options up front makes supportive choices simpler.
Instead, fill your home with a variety of fruits, veggies, proteins, and grains that require little preparation or effort to eat when hungry. This makes it easier to grab a snack that supports steady energy and focus.
Stocking an ADHD-Friendly Kitchen
Use the plate idea to stock your kitchen. Make grab-and-go produce, proteins, and whole grains easy to see.
Fruits (wash, cut, and portion ahead of time):
- Apple slices
- Berries
- Mandarin oranges and clementines – which are easy to peel!
- Grapes (pre-washed and portioned)
- Banana
- Unsweetened dried fruit (in moderation)
- Applesauce or fruit cups with no added sugar
Veggies
- Baby carrots
- Sugar snap peas
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mini cucumbers or cucumber rounds
- Pre-cut broccoli or cauliflower florets
- Hummus or single-serve dip cups
Whole Grains
- Whole-grain crackers (e.g., Triscuits)
- Air-popped popcorn
- Overnight oats in single-serve containers
- Instant oatmeal
- Whole wheat breads, pastas, and tortillas
- Quinoa salad or cooked grains
Proteins
- Hard-boiled eggs
- String cheese or cheese cubes
- Greek yogurt
- Nut butters
- Roasted chickpeas
- Sliced deli turkey or chicken
- Tofu cubes
- Mixed nuts or trail mix
Hydration
- Keep a visible water bottle or pitcher in the fridge
- Infuse water with natural flavors or herbs (e.g., mint, lemon, cucumber)
- Set reminders to meet nutritional goals, or Habit Stack by drinking water during other parts of your daily routine (e.g., getting up in the morning, with meals, after a shower)
What Exactly Should I Eat for Better Focus?
50% vegetables and fruits? Got it!
25% proteins? Check!
25% whole grains? All done!
We now know the ratios of each food group, but what exactly should we eat? As we know, food is an excellent source of nutrition. Food gives your brain and body energy and nutrients for repair.
This, in turn, helps us with maneuvering our daily routines. But as we know, following a daily routine requires executive functioning skills inclusive of planning, organizing, and having good focus.
Here are five commonly enjoyed foods that can support steady energy and attention that are not only delicious but rich in vitamins and antioxidants!
Fish
You’re at a restaurant on a Friday evening, contemplating what you want to eat. Just as you are about to decide, you see a server walking by with a fresh out of the oven baked lemon garlic salmon. You notice your mouth watering as you take in the sights and smells of this salmon.
You decide “I’m going with the salmon!” Lucky for you, not only is it delicious, but also a nutritious choice.
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats support brain structure and function; cognitive benefits vary by study, which in turn helps with learning new skills and enhancing memory.
Broccoli
Who doesn’t love mini edible trees? I know I certainly do! I eat mine in the form of broccoli.
Not only does broccoli have an irresistible, crunchy texture, but it is filled with so many nutrients to optimize brain functions.
Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli) provide fiber and compounds like sulforaphane; overall higher vegetable intake is associated with better long-term cognitive health.
Bananas
Bananas are a convenient snack. Well then you’re in for a treat. Not only are bananas delicious to enjoy as a snack or dessert topping, but also excellent at boosting our brain.
Bananas are filled with natural and low GI sugar to fuel the brain, especially when concentration is needed. Bananas also contain tryptophan, an amino acid, which converts into the neurotransmitter serotonin. This in turn improves mood and gives you that little boost to have a happier day.
Nuts
They’re small, crunchy, and hidden in a hard shell. Can you take a guess at what food item this is?
If you guessed nuts, you got it!
Nuts come in the form of almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pistachios and countless more. Not only are there a large variety of nuts on the market, but a large variety of health benefits. Nuts are filled with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids which reduce cognitive decline and fight against inflammation.
Whole Grains
If you’re looking for vitamin and fiber-rich food to boost your brain, be sure to add whole grains to your diet.
Whole-grain oats provide fiber for longer-lasting energy; choline is found in several foods, but cognition effects depend on overall diet.
When served as a side, quinoa is an excellent source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Vitamin B2 helps your body use carbs and fat for energy. Quinoa also contains 8 grams of protein per serving which can serve as a great substitute for meat!
Final Thoughts on Foods to Eat
The food options to boost brain health are endless. When looking to develop a healthy diet, it is important to include foods that are rich in nutrients. Be sure to:
- Include foods that are rich in lutein, omega 3- fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamin D, and protein to provide the best boost for your brain.
- Develop strong self-management skills so you can create healthy living goals and stay on track so you can achieve them.
- Create a healthy and balanced plate at each meal, filled with a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains.
Self-Monitoring for Healthier Eating
Having strong self-management skills will make it easier to adopt healthy living skills to make meal planning easier and more sustainable. We can learn to better self-manage by:
- Setting goals and taking actionable steps to achieve that goal. In this case, creating a goal of having a healthier lifestyle and taking the steps to develop nutritious meals to achieve that goal.
- Reinforcing our positive behaviors by rewarding ourselves after taking a step towards our goal. This can look like choosing a reward you enjoy (a short walk, a call with a friend, playing a song), or a favorite snack if that fits your plan.
- Self-evaluating and really taking the time to reflect on our healthy living. Look at healthy eating as a way to check in with your body and notice energy, focus, and fullness over the next hour based on the different foods you eat?
- Monitor your eating behaviors to ensure you are staying on track. Start a food log to track what you eat each day. Take it a further step and determine if you notice a trend in your eating. Are you craving sweets every day at 5 pm and salty snacks every morning at 10 am? If so, use problem-solving skills to determine what other healthier snacks options you can incorporate to replace the need to have that bag of chips or chocolate bar.
For more information on meal planning and self-management, check out our free .pdf Real Life Executive Functioning Meal Plan – complete with shopping lists, weekly menu plans, and links to easy-to-prep, healthy recipes.
Additional Resources
Executive Function Coaching at Life Skills Advocate supports neurodivergent people to achieve their daily living goals by breaking down complex tasks into manageable, achievable steps. Whether it’s meal planning, organization, or budgeting, coaching offers personalized, one-on-one support to help individuals develop practical skills and build confidence in everyday routines.
The Neurodivergent-Friendly Cookbook is a practical resource designed to guide families, professionals, and learners through the meal planning process step-by-step. This workbook supports skill-building through visuals, checklists, and templates that make planning meals clearer and less overwhelming.
TL;DR – (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
A balanced, nutrient-rich diet plays a key role in supporting executive functioning skills like planning, attentional control, and emotional regulation.
For neurodivergent individuals, especially those with ADHD, poor nutrition and blood sugar fluctuations can worsen mood, attention, and impulse control. Consuming nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can boost mental clarity, reduce fatigue, and improve cognitive performance.
Creating an ADHD-friendly food environment and building self-management skills can make healthy eating more accessible and sustainable. Life Skills Advocate’s Real-Life Executive Functioning Meal Plan offers a visual, step-by-step guide to meal prep, and coaching provides ongoing support to build daily living skills that meet your unique needs. As always, consult a medical professional before making dietary changes.
Further Reading
- 5 Foods to Boost Your Concentration
- ADHD and Dopamine: What’s the Link?
- Best Foods for a Healthy Brain
- Brain Foods: The Effects of Nutrients on Brain Function
- Build a Better Relationship with Food to Benefit Your Brain
- Executive Functioning 101: All About Self-Monitoring
- Glycaemic index and glycaemic load of breakfast predict cognitive function and mood in school children: a randomised controlled trial
- Healthy Eating Plate
- Highly Processed Foods are Bad for Your Brain
- How Diet Affects Long-Term Health
- Nutrition
- The ADHD-Dopamine Link: Why You Crave Sugar and Carbs
- The Impact of Diet on Anti-Social, Violent and Criminal Behaviour
- The Top 5 Nutrients for the Brain
- Using Self-Management to Teach Healthy Living Skills
- What is Executive Functioning?