What if I told you that there are small steps that you can take each day to protect your memory and decrease your risk of developing dementia? The MIND diet was developed by researchers who sought to preserve memory and cognition in high risk individuals with a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.
They found that anti-inflammatory food choices, similar to the Mediterranean diet, helped stave off these conditions, even in people with a parent or grandparent with Alzheimer’s/dementia. Actually, the acronym, MIND, stands for: Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. In some cases, cognitive decline in people who had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/dementia was inhibited from progressing further once the MIND diet was implemented.
The MIND diet, in general, emphasizes whole foods from nature, such as: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts/nut butters, seeds, and olive oil. It also includes light/lower fat dairy products and lean proteins. Here are some examples: fresh/frozen berries, romaine salads, steamed/stir-fried vegetables, whole grain bread, old-fashioned oatmeal, chickpeas, kidney beans, almonds, natural peanut butter, sunflower seeds, avocado oil, olive oil, light yogurt, chicken, and salmon.
But wait, there is even more good news—you don’t have to completely eliminate all of the other tasty foods that you love that are not mentioned on this list! In fact, the MIND diet provides guidelines to help with moderation of more inflammatory and processed food choices, such as: fast food meals, cheese, beef, butter, and sweets.
Working MIND diet choices into your day:
- Enjoy a spinach or romaine lettuce salad twice a week
- Have a handful of lightly salted nuts for a snack most days of the week
- Try a “Fish Friday” with baked or pan-fried fish fillets
- Use olive oil or avocado oil as often as possible when cooking at home
- Try ground chicken or turkey in place of ground beef in tacos, meatballs, meatloaf, or stuffed peppers
- Choose butter once per day or less
- Keep small treats, such as 1 small cookie or ½ cup ice cream, to every other day or less
- Save fast food for the one busiest night of the week
Choose from these Foods
| Food Group | Recommended Serving | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Leafy Green Vegetables | 6 servings per week (1 serving = ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw) | Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, etc. |
| All Other Vegetables | 1 serving per day (1 serving = ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw) | Asparagus, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, onions, green beans, salad, etc. |
| Nuts/Nut Butters | 5 oz per week (1 serving = 1 handful or 2 tablespoons) | Peanuts, cashews, walnuts, pistacchios, peanut butter, almond butter, etc. |
| Berries | 2 servings per week (1 serving = 1 cup) | Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. |
| Beans | 3 servings per week (1 serving = 1/3 cup) | Black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, kidney beans, navy beans, etc. |
| Whole Grains | 3 servings per day (1 serving = 1 slice bread or 1/3 cup) | Whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, etc. |
| Fish | 1 serving per week (1 serving = 2 to 4 oz) | Salmon, tuna, haddock, cod, tilapia, etc. |
| Poultry | 2 servings per week (1 serving = 2 to 4 oz) | Turkey, chicken, duck, etc. |
| Olive Oil | Use for all appropriate cooking | Saute, stir-fry, bake, etc. |
Limit these Foods
| Food Group | Recommended Serving | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Red Meat | 2 servings per week or less (1 servings= 2 to 4 oz) | Steak, hamburger, pork, bacon, etc. |
| Butter/Margarine | 1 serving per day or less (1 serving = 1 tablespoon) | Stick butter, stick margarine, tub margarine, etc. |
| Cheese | 1 serving per week or less (1 serving = 1 slice or 1 stick or 1 oz) | Full fat cheese slices, sticks, cubes, etc. |
| Pastries/Sweets | 5 servings per week or less (1 serving = 1 small treat) | Pie, cookies, cake, ice cream, etc. |
| Fast Food/Fried Food | 1 serving per week or less (1 serving = 1 meal) | Pizza, fried chicken, burgers, fries, etc. |
MIND Diet Recipe Suggestions
Below is a selection of recipes picked by Bethany Say, RD, LDN, CDCES to introduce others to meal options that align with the MIND diet.
Find additional information about meal planning for dementia patients from this wellness post: Nutrition and Meal Planning with the Bridges Memory Loss Support Group.
Breakfast Ideas
Hummus Toast
Simply assemble the following ingredients for hummus toast and you’re done!
- 1 slice whole grain bread (can choose gluten free bread as you are trying this out)
- 2-3 tbsp hummus
- 2-3 slices cucumbers and 2-3 slices tomatoes
- Drizzle of olive oil on top
Veggie Egg Bites
Ingredients
- 1 small orange bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 12 cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
- 1 cup spinach, 3-4 oz. cooked chicken breast
- 8 large eggs, salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan and brush insides with olive oil.
- Mix all ingredients into a separate bowl and pour evenly into each cup in the muffin pan (do not fully fill each cup as it may spill over).
- Cook for about 25 minutes or until the egg muffins are fully cooked.
- Let cool and serve!
High Protein Breakfast Smoothie
Put all of the following ingredients in a blender and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 scoop vanilla plant based protein powder (we like and recommend a brand called Orgain, which can be found in most grocery stores)
- ½ cup fruit of choice (1/2 banana, blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
- Large handful of spinach or kale
Green Smoothie
Put all of the following ingredients in a blender and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 large banana
- 1 cup kale
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ¼ avocado
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 cup ice cubes
Lunch & Dinner Ideas
Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
- 1 small spaghetti squash
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 portabella mushroom
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup cannellini beans
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- ¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, length wise. Remove seeds with a spoon.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on both halves of the squash, place flesh side down in a baking pan.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
- When spaghetti squash is cooled, shred the insides with a fork and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil (about 3 tbsp) to a pan over medium high heat. Dice onion and add to the pan. Saute until soft.
- While the onion is cooking, slice red bell pepper and mushroom. Mince the garlic (or you can used jar garlic). Rinse and drain cannellini beans.
- Add the vegetables (except tomato) and herbs to the pan with the onion. Stir together and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the broth, spaghetti squash flesh, beans, and tomatoes to the same pan.
- Cook for 10 minutes and serve!
Mediterranean Tuna Salad (Mayo Free!)
Ingredients
- 2 cans low sodium tuna
- ½ yellow bell pepper (diced)
- ½ red bell pepper (diced)
- ½ small red onion (diced)
- ½ cup cucumber (diced)
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
For the dressing:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the tuna with all of your chopped vegetables and parsley.
- In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the dressing and whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the tuna mixture and enjoy!
Tilapia Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 pieces tilapia
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of ½ lime
- 4 warmed tortillas (whole wheat is preferable)
For the slaw:
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Season the fish on both sides with the cumin, chili powder, and pepper. Heat until fully cooked through and set aside.
- Prepare the slaw noted above.
- Assemble the tacos, topping the slaw on top of the cooked fish. Serve and enjoy!
Spicy Cauliflower Rice & Ground Turkey Bowls
Ingredients
- 6 oz. ground turkey
- 3 cups cauliflower rice (about 1, 12 oz. bag of frozen cauliflower rice from the store)
- 1 chopped carrot
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp jalapenos (diced)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp coriander
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
- Cook the turkey with some water (about 1/3 cup) in a pan at medium-high heat. Keep covered and cook for 4-5 minutes or completely browned.
- Add in the spices. Stir uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until any extra water has evaporated.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in the carrots and bell pepper. Add in the cauliflower rice and olive oil. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes for the flavors to combine.
- Take the lid off and stir in the garlic and jalapenos. Stir for another 2 minutes and serve.
Quick Hummus Bowls
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup hummus
- 1 small cucumber (cut into pieces)
- 1 handful red onion slices
- 1 handful of cherry tomatoes (sliced)
- 1 handful Kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp vegan feta cheese (optional)
- 1 handful baby greens or chopped lettuce
- ½ cup brown rice
- 5-6 pita chips
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Place greens and rice in the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Top with the rest of the ingredients.
- Eat with pita chips or you can crush them to use as “croutons”. Enjoy!
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 multi-colored bell peppers
- 1 cup quinoa
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¾ cup pistachios
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ black pepper
- ¼ cup vegan feta cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Wash peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place them cut side down on the sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Flip them to the other side and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. Mince the garlic, shallot, and parsley. Chop the pistachios finely. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Cook the garlic and shallot until translucent.
- Remove from the heat, and mix in the quinoa, pistachios, seasonings, and lemon juice.
- Spoon the mixture into the roasted pepper halves. Top with the feta cheese if you choose to do so. Serve and enjoy!
