Knowledge is everything when it comes to eating healthy. An unbalanced diet is bad for your health — we all know that already (or at least should). What’s the use of a strong, hot body, without a sound mind?

Adding these foods to your diet will help you to keep your mind young and fresh, just like your body. Also, as TEENagers having all our mental faculties in tact won’t hurt, especially seeing that exams are probably closer than we’d like to admit.

Shell out

You can do this by starting your day with — you guessed it, eggs! Eggs are packed with tonnes of nutrients like choline, which aids in memory, learning and reaction times. Eggs also have selenium, which is know to help in brain function. They also contain a good amount of protein, which is made of amino acids that are used to transmit messages in the brain.

Congrats! You’ve made a Berry Smart Choice

Another brain-boosting food is the berry. There are several delicious varieties to choose from. They contain antioxidants that help boost cognition, co-ordination and memory. Some contain quite a bit of Vitamin C, which has been found to protect the brain from stress and helps to reduce the effects of the tissue degeneration that comes with aging.

Sometimes, it’s okay to be Green.

Dark, leafy greens like spinach, pak choi and callaloo contain brain-friendly nutrients, which have been shown to slow mental decline by as much as 40 per cent. They contain nutrients, which have been shown to relax blood vessels and help reduce the frequency of migraines and tension headaches, illnesses which seem to plague TEENagers nowadays.

Something fishy is going on, and I like it!

Fish is a great protein source packed with the brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain function and development. So you should really try to get at least two serving per week of seafood.

Sweet and Crunchy

I bet you didn’t know that nuts are a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which has been associated with less cognitive decline, as you get older. Research has also shown that dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties, which gives us a great reason to eat chocolate (as if we needed one). This sweet treat also contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration.

Here’s the problem most people overdo it on these two fantastic brains foods — they are delicious but please, limit yourself to an ounce a day of each. And try to get your fix for sweet and crunchy without going overboard.