Disclosed are nutritional compositions and methods for enhancing the cognition and/or improving the memory of an infant or child. The methods include administering to an infant or child a nutritional composition comprising maltodextrin such that a single dose of maltodextrin is sufficient to enhance cognition and/or improve memory in the infant or child after the administration. The nutritional composition may include liquid nutritional compositions or solid nutritional products and may provide the sole source of nutrition or may be administered as a supplemental nutritional source.