Restock the Fridge - Feeding Hungry Brains

All summer long I ate the same breakfast – a gluten-free English muffin with peanut butter, Nutella, and banana. Fueled by this – and a cup of coffee – I hiked and biked all over Donner Summit with my family and friends. Despite achieving 10,000 steps by noon, I was never too hungry before lunch. 

And then I came back to school. Though my activity level has significantly decreased, I am starving by 10:30. It turns out that the thinking brain takes a lot of fuel! Having just realized how much more food a thinking brain takes, I am having to rethink our refrigerator and pantry. My sugary start to the day is gearing toward more protein, and I am experimenting with new snacks. Nick Wilsey has added bone broth to my grocery list and I even ordered a “Custom Fuel Pack” from a performance snack subscription service. 

I do not share my hunger woes with you to get your favorite snacking tips (though you are welcome to send them!) or to make it obvious that I am a sucker for Instagram marketing – the Custom Fuel Pack. Instead, I write as a reminder that your child is soon going to experience the same transition from all-day physical activity to all-day brain activity that I did. To make them even hungrier, MTS students have PE and after-school sports. The engaged brain takes more fuel!

I hope that the first days of school are filled with stories of new teachers, good friends, and exciting projects. They will almost certainly be filled with hunger and – perhaps – hanger. Along with some new school shoes, make sure to do a back-to-school shop at the grocery store to feed that hungry brain. Or let me know and I can point you to a performance fuel pack subscription service – I have a referral code!

- Andrew