This is a book that should be on the bookshelf of every parent. It may just be one of the most important parenting books you will ever read.
Here's why. "...do we really take into account the fact that every step a child takes - whether it's their first toddle on the kitchen floor, or their sudden plunge into emotions and relationships as teenagers - depends on how well their brain is working. And that, in turn, depends in large part on how well their brain is nourished?" Patrick Holford

Optimum Nutrition for Your Child's Mind: Maximize Your Child's Potential is very much a "how-to" book and is one that you will constantly refer to as your child grows and faces new challenges and increasing responsibilities.

Optimum Nutrition for Your Child's Mind explains in detail the difference between kids who live on a steady junk-food diet and those who eat a healthy well-balanced diet. Even more importantly it tells you what you should be feeding your child (and why) in order to ensure optimum development.

The book is divided into 4 main parts -
Part 1 - Food for The Brain
In the section Patrick Holford shares the 5 essential brain foods as well as the 5 "anti-nutrients" (or no-no's) that are harmful to your child's developing mind.

Part 2 - Give Your Child A Headstart
In this section you will learn how to use food and proper vitamin supplementation to boost IQ, improve your child's mood and behavior, sharpen his memory, increase his attention span and even improve his reading and writing skills.

Part 3 - Solving Problems
This section deals with specific problems that present unique nutritional needs, such as autism, hyperactivity, aggression and even sleep problems. I discovered that my 4 year old's sleep problems were more due to an incorrect diet than to anything else. Who would have guessed.

Part 4 - Food For Thought
This section helps you to put the whole plan into action, from infancy right up to the hormone ridden teen years.

I particularly liked the Chapter "Top Tips In The Kitchen" which was filled with ways to give your child nutrient-dense but delicious meals. "Preventing Food Fads and Fussiness" is another great chapter for parents of fussy eaters.


I was kindly given a review copy of Optimum Nutrition
by Penguin Publishers South Africa.