Your heart keeps you ticking, but your topmost organ, the brain—and how you feed it—is a major driver of how you feel and function on a day-to-day basis. “Nutrition profoundly impacts cognitive function,” says Laura Iu, R.D., a certified intuitive-eating counselor in New York City. “Food can either support or hinder our ability to think, focus, remember, and make decisions.” But there’s one diet that claims to boost brain health and overall function: The Mind Diet.
Meet the experts: Maggie Moon, R.D., the author of The MIND Diet; Laura Iu, R.D., a certified intuitive-eating counselor in New York City
Researchers at Rush University in Chicago designed the eating plan to keep you sharp. “It is one of the best-researched diets for brain health and is ideal for people looking for a simple but incredibly powerful way to preserve brain function,” says Maggie Moon, R.D., the author of The MIND Diet. “Studies show that people who follow the MIND Diet may see their risk of Alzheimer’s cut in half and could turn back the brain’s biological clock by about seven years.”
If you already follow a Mediterranean style of eating, the MIND Diet (Mediterranean–Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) will feel familiar, as a way to minimize brainpower saboteurs such as saturated fat, sodium, fried foods, and added sugars and as a call for loading up on foods with key brain-friendly nutrients like omega-3’s, antioxidants, vitamins B and E, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
The MIND Diet puts special emphasis on brain-supporting foods and tells you exactly how much of each type to consume weekly. “The plan homes in on foods that help fight oxidative stress, suppress inflammation, and protect and repair brain cells and create new ones,” Moon explains. Below, the key elements of the MIND Diet.
Plan out your meals using the following categories, thinking of these as weekly minimum portions. Feel free to incorporate more of them into your diet along with other nutritious foods such as fruit and eggs, while eating only small amounts of sweets, cheese, red meat, and butter.
Whole grains
21+ Servings a week
About ½ cup of cooked farro, quinoa, or barley (read: one serving) is rich in B vitamins, which research suggests can help protect memory and may slow cognitive decline. As a bonus, B vitamins help your body absorb and use all the other nutrients you supply it with. If reaching for packaged bread, check the label for how many servings of whole grains it contains.
Leafy greens
6+ Servings a week
Spinach, kale, and other dark leafy greens deliver an array of essential nutrients including folate, a B vitamin that has neuro-protective benefits and also aids in the production of serotonin and dopamine, which play a role in boosting and stabilizing mood. Aim for at least 2 cups per serving.
Vegetables
7+ Servings a week
Filling your plate with produce is always smart, especially when your health is a high priority. To maximize the assortment of vitamins and minerals you’ll get, eat your way through a rainbow of peppers, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, summer squash, and other colorful picks (at least one cup is a serving).
Nuts and seeds
5+ Servings a week
High in polyphenols, shown to reduce the risk of developing dementia, nuts also supply crunch. Walnuts are particularly good for your noggin—sprinkle an ounce (one serving) over salads.
Berries
2+ Servings a week
Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are similar in more ways than just their names—they’re all good sources of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that give blue-, red-, and purple-pigmented foods their color. Regularly consuming a serving of blueberries (1 cup) in particular may help improve cognition in older adults, research suggests.
Beans
4+ Servings a week
About ½ cup of these legumes helps keep blood sugar levels steady, thanks in part to their combo of fiber and protein, which research suggests can aid in preventing cognitive impairment.
Poultry
2+ Servings a week
Choose 3 to 4 ounces of chicken or turkey over pork or red or processed meats. These deliver not only protein, necessary for optimal neurotransmitter function, but also brain-friendly minerals like zinc and magnesium.
Fish
1+ Servings a week
Prioritize eating about 4 ounces of fatty fish like salmon, as it’s packed with omega-3’s and other polyunsaturated fatty acids, both key to reducing inflammation that may negatively affect cognitive health.
Spinach Fix
This green veggie is full of vitamin C, magnesium, and other plant compounds that help ward off cognitive decline by protecting brain cells from inflammation and oxidative stress.
mike garten
Green Juice Smoothies
- Leafy greens
- Vegetables
- Nuts
Active 5 min.
Total 20 min.
Serves 2
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PER SERVING About 429 cal, 24 g fat (4 g sat), 0 mg chol, 125 mg sodium, 47 g carb, 7 g fiber, 26 g sugar (0 g added sugar), 14 g pro
Power Players
Beans and tofu are plant-based proteins that contain magnesium and iron, minerals that promote healthy blood flow to the brain.
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Jammy Tomato and Tofu Burrito Bowls
- Whole grains
- Vegetables
- Beans
Active 20 min.
Total 30 min.
Serves 4
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PER SERVING About 624 cal, 13 g fat (2 g sat), 0 mg chol, 773 mg sodium, 109 g carb, 22 g fiber, 5.5 g sugar (0 g added sugar), 31 g pro
Go Nuts
Walnuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support the structure and function of brain cells and enhance communication between neurons.
mike garten
Salmon, Avocado, and Citrus Salad
- Leafy greens
- Vegetables
- Nuts
- Beans
- Fish
Active 40 min.
Total 40 min.
Serves 4
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PER SERVING About 547 cal, 31 g fat (5.5 g sat), 53 mg chol, 787 mg sodium, 34 g carb, 14 g fiber, 7 g sugar (0 g added sugar), 33 g pro
Liquid Gold
Opt for olive oil when cooking. A bottle contains plenty of polyphenols, including biophenols, which can help protect the brain because of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
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Green Summer Minestrone
- Whole grains
- Leafy greens
- Vegetables
- Beans
Active 30 min.
Total 40 min.
Serves 6
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PER SERVING About 445 cal, 13 g fat (1.5 g sat), 0 mg chol, 638 mg sodium, 70 g carb, 17 g fiber, 9 g sugar (0 g added sugar), 16 g pro
Great Grain
Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, a whole grain, so when you eat them you’ll slurp up both fiber and protein. Many chemical reactions in the brain rely on amino acids, the building blocks of protein, and eating more fiber is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, research says.
mike garten
Soba With Chicken and Baby Greens
- Whole grains
- Leafy greens
- Vegetables
- Poultry
Active 35 min.
Total 45 min.
Serves 4
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PER SERVING About 624 cal, 27 g fat (5 g sat), 156 mg chol, 903 mg sodium, 57 g carb, 7 g fiber, 8 g sugar (2 g added sugar), 40 g pro
Chia Champ
These small but mighty seeds offer a host of health benefits courtesy of their omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, polyphenols, and fiber.
mike garten
Blueberry-Chia Jam Oat Cake
Active 15 min.
Total 50 min. plus cooling
Serves 4
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PER SERVING About 425 cal, 13 g fat (2.5 g sat), 8 mg chol, 607 mg sodium, 68 g carb, 11 g fiber, 28 g sugar (9 g added sugar), 14 g pro
Tina (she/her) is the food producer of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She comes to Hearst with 10 years experience in the world of food styling for editorial, digital and television platforms. When she’s not cooking in her tiny Brooklyn kitchen, she can be found enjoying a beer at a local brewery, hiking in a national park or enjoying an afternoon at the beach.
