What to Eat to Help You Focus When You Have ADHD

Food is medicine, especially for individuals with ADHD—even more so when you’re aiming to improve your focus through diet. 

Just like exercise and sleep, food (and your diet) is another important part of your “village” to support your ADHD. When you’re able to control and support your ADHD, you can truly make it your superpower. 

So, you’ll need to fuel yourself well, and that means incorporating foods into your diet that help your brain (and your body):

5 Focus Foods for ADHD You Should Incorporate Into Your Diet

There’s a handful of foods and food groups that are great for your brain and help with supporting you manage your ADHD. The goal is to fuel yourself well and start eating foods that include things that are beneficial to your daily life. 

Here are the five foods I recommend to help you focus if you have ADHD:

#1. Lean Protein

Did you know that lean protein is really critical for your brain to produce neurotransmitters like dopamine, which plays a vital role in attention and focus? Yep! When you have protein, you’re able to focus better because you’re satiated. 

Examples of lean protein:

• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Beans
• Nuts

#2. Complex Carbohydrates

There’s a big difference between a good carbohydrate and a bad carbohydrate. Carbs are a steady source of energy, and they can really help stabilize your blood sugar, which is beneficial for maintaining focus. 

So, for example, foods like bran, rice, oats, whole wheat bread, and sweet potatoes are great complex carbohydrates! However, the not so great simple carbohydrates like cookies (instant sugar) goes straight to the bloodstream and your blood sugar spikes up! Those are not good carbohydrates.

#3. Healthy Fats

Healthy fats such as Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish like salmon are important for the brain to function and improve your focus. So, making sure you get fat in your body will help things move well!

#4. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are rich in vitamins and minerals like iron and magnesium, which is overall an important addition for your health and can help your ADHD symptoms. My personal favorites are kale and spinach! 

One of my biggest recommendations for my clients is that when they go and get a smoothie that they make sure it’s green—they want those veggies in there. It’s an easy swap that’ll help you focus a lot!

#5. Antioxidant-Rich Fruits

You can have a fruit, but I want the fruit to count antioxidants like blueberries, pomegranates, and acai. They’re great antioxidants and that can help protect the brain cells and improve your cognitive functioning skills. 

Just one more reason why food is medicine!

What’s the Right Type of Prescription of Foods for Your ADHD?

Not all foods are created equally, so go and pick the best ones that fit your needs. This is truly a form of fueling your body and can help you navigate your ADHD symptoms.

But, if you ever need help identifying what focus foods would be best for you and your ADHD, it’s something we can discuss in ADHD coaching! Book a free consultation here.