What do you feed your ADHD child?

[DrNortherner]

We don't have a diagnosis for ds, but he is extremely fidgety, has difficulty concentrating and a short attention span. I am wondering if he would benefit from some changes to his diet.

Having looked online it seems a mine field and I wonder if he is doomed to a life of no sweets/sugar at all?

I am very interested in breakfast suggestions, after school snacks (he is always ravenous) and drinks.

Have also read that fish oils/omega 3 is good. Any thoughts?

Ds is 9, and his teacher has mentioned that he has observed ds is either on a manic high, or quite subdued and quiet which could point to him being sensitive to some foods.

Any advice much appreciated

I looked into it & concluded that the evidence of links is very weak. And I haven't noticed any pattern, anyway, other than any food after 8pm tends to make DS harder to settle.

I give DS fish oils but can't know what things would have been like without them. That said, I'm sure it's worthwhile to try seeing if you can cut down on strange ingredients/additives (anything you don't know what it is), or a few eliminations... BUT, some people imply you have to be so purist about it (1-3 months as a minimum excluding the suspect food) that I physically couldn't do it properly, not without locking said child up in a cupboard for that long.

How much processed food does he have at the moment?

Hi ragged, that is my concern really, that it will be a nightmare to get rid of all sugars. He eats very little processed food tbh. Most meals are cooked from fresh. He has a good appetite. He likes the odd pizza or burger (which kid doesn't) but meals at home tend to be chicken and rice, spag bol, lasagne, sundays roasts, jacket spuds. Quick teas tend to be beans on toast with cheese, fishfingers.

He does currently have sugary breakfast cereals - honey cheerios, coco pops and i think maybe this is where a change could be made to weetabix/cornflakes or wholemeal toast. After school he craves stodge - biscuits, choc filled crepes, crisps etc, this could be better.....

My friends' children don't like pizza or chips, btw, since you asked!

Sodium benzoate (in a lot of squash) & the stuff listed in Feingold are mentioned a lot. This is a less severe version of Feingold (but still too much for me).