Bay Area Brain Food: 2 dads and their kid-friendly, mind-boosting, creation

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Are you and your kids getting enough brain food? Two Bay Area dads have spent the past year, creating a product with mind-boosting ingredients, that they say will appeal to picky toddlers and parents alike.

Mark Brooks is a first-time "dadtrepreneur", who co-founded Braniacs with his friend and fellow Bay Area dad, Jonathan Wolfson.

"Jonathan and I have six kids, three each."

With all those kids, Mark and Jonathan learned that many infant formulas contain Omega 3's. But once their kids outgrew formula, they worried where the critical fatty-acid was coming from in their diets.

"In talking to experts, we found that kids in America are getting about 20-percent of the Omega 3 DHA they need. And their brains are made up of Omega 3 DHA, 15-percent of their brain is that, and they get it from foods, like salmon and trout. And, salmon and trout are not the kid's favorite foods," said Wolfson.

Wolfson says Brainiac products were created with the help of their science and nutrition advisory board, which is made up of eight doctors and nutrition experts.

So Brooks and Wolfson created Brainiac yogurt and smoothies, with added Omega 3's and choline, for brain health.

"A recent study suggested that Omega 3's can help reduce the symptoms of ADHD in children," said Sarah Koszyk, a San Francisco mom and Registered Dietician Nutritionist. She says Omega 3 fortified foods, can improve brain health for children and adults. "Omega 3's have also been suggested to have an inverse relationship with depression."

Besides fish, Omega 3s can be found in walnuts, walnut butter or ground flax and chia seeds, which Koszyk says you can hide in oatmeal or muffins.

Eggs are a major source of choline, but you can also find the essential nutrient in meat, broccoli, peanuts and beans.

Koszyk says beef jerky also contains choline, but she advises to be cautious of the salt content.

Brainiac products are available on Good Eggs and coming soon to Bay Area grocery stores.