9 Foods To Eat On The MIND Diet

What is the MIND diet, you ask? It is a dietitian’s favorite—a hybrid diet that combines the Mediterranean diet with the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.

The MIND diet emphasizes foods that have been shown to support brain health and reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

9 Foods to Include on the MIND Diet

1. Dark green leafy vegetables: At least one serving per day (1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked) of spinach, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, arugula, endive, or romaine lettuce.
2. Other vegetables: At least one serving per day (½ cup).
3. Nuts: Five servings per week (1 oz each) of nuts or nut butter.
4. Berries: At least five servings per week (½ cup each) of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
5. Beans and legumes: At least three servings per week (½ cup each) of beans, chickpeas, lentils, hummus, or soy foods (eg, tofu, edamame, or soy yogurt).
6. Whole grains: Three servings per day (½ cup or one slice each) of dark or whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, wild rice, quinoa, barley, bulgur, farro, oats, or whole grain cereal.
7. Fish: At least one serving per week (3 to 5 oz), not fried. Good choices include salmon, tuna, tilapia, cod, mahi-mahi, and halibut.
8. Poultry: At least two servings per week (3 to 5 oz each) of skinless chicken or turkey breast.
9. Extra-virgin olive oil: Two tablespoons per day.

5 Foods to Limit on the MIND Diet

1. Red meat and processed meat: No more than three servings per week (3 to 5 oz each) of beef, lamb, pork, ham, burger, hot dogs, sausages, bacon, roast beef, or salami,
2. Butter and stick margarine: Less than one teaspoon per day, Tub-based margarines such as Smart Balance and Earth Balance are exceptions.
3. Regular (full-fat) cheese: No more than 2 oz per week.
4. Pastries and other sweets: No more than four servings per week.
5. Fried and fast foods: No more than one meal per week from fast food or fast casual restaurants, or one serving of any fried food.

Takeaways

The MIND diet emphasizes eating whole foods, including leafy greens, berries, nuts, and legumes, while limiting unhealthy foods such as butter, cheese, and fried or processed foods. And while there’s no single most-perfect diet to follow, this one comes pretty close- helpful for heart health, glucose control, blood pressure management, and also brain function… Could it get any better? The scoring for this diet is out of 14, basically one point for each of the list items that you satisfy. Try this plan, and let your Dietitian know how it goes!