Diseases of western countries are fueled by environmental factors including the diet. Despite ubiquitous advice on how to eat healthier, a robust scientific definition of ‘healthy diet’ is missing. Without gaining fundamental insights into the complex interactions between body, brain and nutrients across physiological states, rational development of nutritional strategies for the maintenance and/or restoration of health cannot be achieved. This project seeks to understand how a subset of nutrients shape the physiology of juvenile development. Decoding basic principles of host-nutrient interactions will aid in developing targeted nutritional interventions for therapeutic purposes in the clinic.