- People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may struggle with maintaining focus for long periods of time, overall energy levels, and persistent anxiety.
- One strategy that may help adults with ADHD manage these aspects involves making healthier dietary choices and opting for foods linked to better brain health, energy boosts, and emotional regulation.
- Cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein shares what a nutrition expert would eat in a day to help with ADHD.
Adults with ADHD may choose to take medication, undergo therapy, and incorporate various lifestyle changes in order to minimize the impact of some of these aspects.
One easier-to-achieve lifestyle change centers on diet, as many foods can support brain health, emotional regulation, and energy levels.
Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished, shares her top expert advice on what to eat as an adult with ADHD that will help you feel your best self.
“Restrictive approaches like ketogenic diets are frequently promoted online for ADHD, but there is currently no direct clinical evidence supporting keto for primary ADHD,” Routhenstein told Medical News Today.
For one, she said, “blood sugar stability is particularly important in ADHD because the brain is more sensitive to fluctuations in blood glucose, which affects the consistency of energy supply to the brain.”
“With blood sugar swings and rapid drops, it can cause irritability, fatigue, brain fog, and increase anxiety,” she explained.
“While it may seem like a low-carbohydrate diet [like keto] would ‘fix’ this, stable energy actually depends on the right balance and proportions of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and healthy fats to slow digestion, support glucose regulation, and provide the nutrients needed for efficient energy utilization.”
— Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN
Beyond the obvious challenges that certain ADHD traits may pose on a day-to-day basis, there are also many hidden risks.
“It is important to recognize that adults with ADHD also appear to have substantially higher rates of cardiovascular disease than adults without ADHD, with large population studies and meta-analyses suggesting roughly a 1.7–2.0 times higher risk,” she emphasized.
“A keto diet may increase risk of cardiovascular disease, and as a preventive cardiology dietitan, I would strongly advise against it,” she continued.
“While there is no single ADHD diet, research shows that a personalized plant-forward, nutrient-adequate Mediterranean-style diet pattern can help with focus, anxiety, cravings, and stable energy levels throughout the day,” Routhenstein told us.
She said that “the strongest evidence” yet indicates that prioritizing the consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish can boost brain health and help people feel well-rested for longer.
At the same time, she noted that it is best to avoid ultra-processed foods, products high in added sugars, and refined carbohydrates, all of which have been tied to negative impacts on the brain and health.
One thing to keep in mind is that some people with ADHD have a strong aversion to certain flavors, smells, and food textures. For some, not all, this can be a sign of another condition, called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
“I have many clients who were diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood, and they often share what they call ‘picky eating’,” Routhenstein told us.
In such cases, people can work with a dietitian to identify foods they can enjoy and that provide the best nutritional profile.
“These ‘picky eating’ tendencies are usually sensory-based, where a person needs certain textures to comfortably eat foods, and may have strong aversions to others. When I help bridge the gap by achieving nutrient adequacy within their texture preferences, it supports their heart health goals and helps improve their overall energy, reduce anxiety, and decrease intense cravings.”
— Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN
