ADD / ADHD menu suggestions?

I have read that children with ADD / ADHD can benefit from dietary changes - i.e. reducing refined sugar, etc.

Does anyone have any sample menus that they can suggest?

I appreciate all of the input...I get that some "bad" things should be cut out. I just didn't know specifically what meals/foods others are using to accomplish this. :)

Lot's of protein and iron:

-Red meats
-Rice
-Tomato Sauce
-Green&Red vegetables
-Chicken
-Kiwi

"Diet has a smaller part to play in the treatment of ADD than popular mythology might suggest. Diet never causes ADD, though in a minority of ADD and non-ADD children, certain foodstuffs may make their behaviour more active and possibly more irritable. There seems to be little evidence that diet directly affects attention, impulsivity or insatiability. Sugar has not been shown to cause bad behaviour. If parents wish to try a diet, they have our full support. All we ask is that they do it properly, under the supervision of a specialist doctor or dietician" [1]

"Parents often claim that replacing sugar with honey leads to better behaviour but this has been well researched and proven to be completely untrue. Honey is sugar, which has been recycled through a bee, with a number of natures preservatives and pollutants added along the way. There is no doubt that sugar rots children's teeth and makes them fat, but there is no evidence it has any effect on learning or behaviour" [2]

"THE FEINGOLD DIET

In 1973, Dr Ben Feingold, a former Professor of Allergy in San Fransisco, suggested a relationship between diet and hyperactivity. He went to the media with his startling but unproven theory, claiming that many artificial foood additives, as well as some quite natural substances, were affecting the behaviour of our children. Specifically, he claimed that the reported rates of hyperactivity were increasing in proportion to the number of additives which legally pollute food. He told the press that his special diet could improve the behaviour in 50 per cent of these hyped-up little people. These claims had great repercussions as they were published in newspapers all around the world. The American government was obliged to set up committes to investigate the claims.
In the next decade, parents saw diet as the cornerstone of hyperactivity. Parent support groups were established all over Australia, most becoming so obsessed with food, that stimulant medication and other treatments were largely ignored.
Many parents still misunderstand what is meant by the Feingold Diet. It is not only about giving up chocolate, cola drinks, flavouring and colourings. It is also about avoiding nature's preservatives, for example, the natural salicylates which occur in foods such as tomatoes, oranges and pineapples. Hidden preservatives can also be a problem as in sausages, salami and some 'extremely dead' dried meats. A few children even react to toothpaste, yeast extract and honey, or when they come into contact with it, perfume and dish-washing liquid.
The original Feingold Diet did have some inconsistencies. Pineapple juice was suggested as one of the safe drinks, when it is now known to be high in natural preservatives." [3]

Following Feingold's claims, an American Congressional Commision looked at the questions of additives and encouraged research trials. Feingold had claimed that 50 per cent of children with behavioural problems would be helped by the diet. The question was whether this figure was correct and how much of this was a placebo effect. 'Placebo' is the term used for when, unknown to the patient, an inert substance is given instead of an active drug (for example, a sugar tablet instead of an aspirin). Studies show that one-third of people will believe that this non-teatment has made them feel somewhat better.
To combat the placebo effect, trials on diet had to be conducted 'completely blind'. That is, parents and others who observed the behaviours, could not know if the children were on or off the diet. Many methods were used including a sort of 'meals on wheels' where all food was delivered from outside the trial group's homes.
When 50 per cent who claimed to be helped by diet were challenged blindly with additives, only 1 in 10 showed any change in their behaviour. Most of the initial studies showed this 1 in 10 result. This represents 5 percent of Feingold's initial claim of 50 per cent of the children.[4](i)
Since that time there have been several studies which have reported a more impressive response (up to 60 per cent), but in most, the 5 per cent figure still stands. [4]


Sorry about such a long answer, but I though all of this was relavent.

Given the studies that show the apparent ineffectiveness of the Feingold Diet, I am loathe to post a version of it here, but if you are interested, send me an e-mail and I will get back to you.

This answer is not copied from Wikipedia, it is mainly from a very useful book which I own. If you want any more information about this topic, or others, feel free to send me an e-mail.

I hope this helps.

Once again, if you would like an EXTREMELY (hehe) comprehensive list of foods to avooid then don't hesitate to contact me :)

PS. Having immense experience of children suffering from ADHD I would tentatively point out that, although some difference in behaviour has been observed with these diets, the hassle and trouble it will inevitably take to IMPLEMENT this diet wil far outweight the benefits.
Telling a child suffering from ADHD that they are not allowed this or that and constanlty monitoring them for infringements of this constrictive diet, will take a lot of time and a lot of patience. In the end, children are crafty little beggars, and will find ways to enjoy a sweet or an apple here and there, completely ruining the point of the diet in the first place.

Sorry again for such a long post !

honestly the best menu is to go all natural......avoid preservatives, dyes, and of course the sugars. my child has been living with ADHD for 13 years, and believe me, this was the best way to control the symptoms. also, if your child is still having problems with impulsive outbursts send them outside for 5 minutes or less to run or exercise "as hard as they can" . the combination of diet and exercise makes a big difference. if that still doesn't work you may want to try talking to the doctor.

Uhm im 15 and I have A.D.H.D, I find that cutting down on sugar and eating as healthy as I can helps me a lot academically and physically , But sometimes it is hard to eat because our medication can make us lose our appetite. My doctor said I should add more veggies in my diet Because I have ADHD but not sure if thats true. I find it helps. but it also depends on opinion.

Some people support gluten-free or gluten-reduced meals for ADD/ADHD children. Obviously avoiding stimulants is a good idea, but really, dietary changes have not been conclusively shown to make a justifiable difference in the behaviour of ADD/ADHD individuals.

ADHD children have the reverse effect when ingesting sugar or energy drinks and foods. They feel more calm. Just like a person who is not ADHD that takes their medication in turn becomes hyper-active.

This website has alot of insight on dietary needs and addicitves that effect adhd

You want to lower the amount of stimulant-like nutrients. I.E. cut out the sugar (chocolate, candy, sodas, etc...).

I would start out with a hearty bowl of adderall and soy milk. Then finish the day with a fresh-fruit dexedrine smoothie