What Counts on the MIND Diet? Simple Guide

Seafood

On the MIND diet, seafood—especially fatty fish—is a key source of omega-3 fatty acids that support brain and heart health and help lower inflammation. Salmon is usually my #1 choice.

What Counts:

• Salmon - fresh, frozen, or canned
• Shrimp
• Tuna - for canned, I recommend Wild Planet or Safe Catch to help avoid mercury
• White fish - cod, halibut, haddock, flounder, etc.
• Any other type of seafood

A recipe to try: Lemon Garlic Salmon with Kale and White Beans.

Poultry

Poultry is a flexible, lean protein that fits well into many weeknight meals. Chicken and turkey are easy to keep on hand and work in everything from skillets to casseroles.

What Counts:

• Chicken – boneless skinless breasts, thighs, cutlets or tenders; skin-on chicken; ground chicken
• Turkey – ground turkey, fresh turkey breast

A recipe to try: Brain Healthy Turkey Helper

Beans and Plant-Based Protein

Beans, lentils, and soy foods are powerhouses for fiber, protein, and steady energy. They’re a big part of how I keep my recipes filling and budget-friendly.

What Counts:

• Beans – black, pinto, white, etc.
• Edamame – Some studies suggest soy may support women during menopause.
• Lentils
• Red lentils (Great for thickening a soup or sauce)
• Split peas – yellow or green
• Tofu – don’t be afraid to try it! Such a whole, great source of protein.

A recipe to try: Tofu Sloppy Joes

Whole Grains

Whole grains give you fiber, B vitamins, and long-lasting energy. On the MIND diet, you’ll see whole grains show up at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

What Counts:

• Barley
• Brown rice – short grain, brown basmati, etc.
• Buckwheat
• Cornmeal or Polenta
• Farro
• Homemade flatbreads
• Oats – rolled oats, steel cut oats, instant oats (plain)
• Preservative-free tortillas – often easier to find at a food co-op or health food store, or make your own
• Quinoa
• Whole grain pancakes and waffles
• Whole grain bread, bagels and English muffins (look for preservative-free) – Dave’s Killer, Wholesome Harvest, Simple Truth Organic
• Whole wheat pasta
• Wild rice

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are one of the stars of the MIND diet. You can eat them as salads, stir them into pasta, add them to casseroles, or wilt them into soups and stews.

What Counts:

• Beet greens
• Romaine lettuce
• Kale
• Spinach (baby spinach is easy)
• Swiss chard

A recipe to try: Turkey Smash Tacos

Other Vegetables

My recipes are very veggie-forward. I prioritize whatever is in season and looks fresh. Almost all colorful vegetables are welcome on the MIND diet.

What Counts:

• Beets
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Butternut squash
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• The list goes ON!!

Your Plate

The original MIND Diet site recommends a simple plate model:

• ½ vegetables
• ¼ whole grains or beans
• ¼ protein
• A thumbful of good fat

Breakfast

A well thought-out breakfast checks off multiple MIND diet categories at once, such as berries, nuts and whole grains. Other superstar foods to incorporate are chia and flaxseed. Amping up the protein in your breakfast helps control your appetite later in the day.

A recipe to try: High-Protein Microwave Oatmeal Bowl with Banana and Peanut Butter

Nuts

Nuts are easy to incorporate, especially at breakfast or as a snack. They bring healthy fats, fiber, and crunch.

What Counts:

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Nut butter. Buy natural peanut butter, not the shelf-stable peanut butter with palm oil. Tip to mix your peanut butter before opening: sit on the ground or in a chair and carefully shake the sealed jar. Refrigerate after opening.
• Peanuts (a different nutritional profile, but still good)
• Walnuts

Foods to Limit – Details

• Red meat – Try not to buy pork, beef, etc. very often.
• Full-fat cheese – Avoid full-fat cheese. The MIND Diet does not specifically restrict yogurt or milk — the main recommendation is simply to limit full-fat cheese. Also try nutritional yeast too. I buy Nutri Yeast from Thrive Market and find it an excellent way to make food taste “cheesy.”
• Butter and margarine – Nut butter is a great substitute on toast. Olive oil works for almost everything, such as grilled sandwiches and popcorn.
• Fried food – When eating out, learn to love salads. Planning your menu ahead makes it much easier to eat at home more often.
• Pastries and sweets – Avoid sugar in general, including sugary breakfast cereal. For desserts, have fruit, which has fiber and polyphenols. Try splitting dates and filling them with nut butter. I use small amounts of sugar in my recipes for flavor—usually opting for real maple syrup or honey.

Canned beans

I’ve gone back and forth on this over the years, but here’s where I’ve landed: canned beans are absolutely fine — and for most people, they make the MIND diet easier to follow.

A few tips:

• Rinse them well. Don’t just swirl water in the can. Pour the beans into a colander or strainer and rinse under running water for 20–30 seconds. This removes excess sodium and the thick canning liquid.
• Choose BPA-free cans when possible. Most major brands have already moved to BPA-free linings.
• Beans are low-acid, which reduces concerns with can linings. Acidic foods (like tomatoes) interact more with can linings than beans do, so the potential transfer is much lower.

At the end of the day, canned beans are safe, convenient, budget-friendly, and genuinely help people eat more fiber and plant protein. Cooking dried beans is more ideal, and they taste even better, but requires planning ahead.

Fruit

The MIND diet only emphasizes berries, but it also doesn’t say you cannot eat other fruit. I incorporate fresh fruit, especially whatever is in season. It is colorful, fresh, delicious and high in polyphenols and fiber. For instance:

• Apples
• Bananas (so useful to sweeten yogurt, oatmeal, etc.)
• Blackberries
• Blueberries (MIND diet wants you to have these often) – fresh or frozen
• Citrus
• Grapes (I spring for organic when I buy them, and choose the dark red or purple ones)
• Pomegranate
• Raspberries

Dairy

What about dairy? The MIND diet says to limit full-fat cheese. I generally avoid any full-fat dairy products.

• Nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt – I use this liberally. It is high in protein. I buy organic—usually Simple Truth, but sometimes other brands. Always unsweetened.
• Low-fat cottage cheese – Just read the labels. Not all brands are OK. Some have extra filler or preservatives. Try Good Culture or Daisy.
• Reduced-fat cheese – Again, read the labels. I’ve noticed that pre-shredded cheese usually has preservatives to prevent mold. Buying cheese in blocks is the way to go.
• Reduced-fat feta
• Milk – I normally choose soy milk. It is non-dairy and also high in protein.