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You Just Started the MIND Diet—Here Are 20 Recipes to Make First

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You Just Started the MIND Diet—Here Are 20 Recipes to Make First

The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Combining the nutritional benefits of the Mediterranean diet with the DASH diet, the MIND diet focuses on creating balanced meals around brain-healthy foods like whole grains, leafy greens, fish and nuts. Want to try it yourself? We compiled this list of 20 recipes that star these healthy ingredients, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. Try our Raspberry-Peach-Mango Smoothie Bowl or our Mustard-Dill Grilled Salmon with Vegetables to help you get started.

Easy Salmon Cakes

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell


These healthy salmon cakes are a delicious way to boost your intake of omega-3s. It is also a great way to use convenient canned (or leftover) salmon.

Raspberry-Peach-Mango Smoothie Bowl

This healthy smoothie recipe is a gateway to the smoothie-bowl craze. Use whatever fruit, nuts and seeds you like best to make it your own. Be sure to use frozen fruit in Step 1 to yield a creamy, frosty base for the toppings.

Composed Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Channel your inner food stylist while arranging the beans and vegetables for this show-stopping composed bean salad recipe. Serve at a potluck or for a beautiful salad at brunch alongside grilled chicken, scallops or fish.

Brown Rice Shrimp Bowl with Tomatoes & Avocado

This quick and easy bowl pairs brown rice with cooked shrimp, tossed in a ginger-soy-sesame sauce, to create a flavorful dish in no time. Topping with tomatoes and avocado adds color and nutrients. Use leftover brown rice or pick up a package of pre-cooked brown rice from the grocery store to keep this meal no-cook.

Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa

Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Annie Probst Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco


Crisping the quinoa in the oven adds delicious texture to this bright and filling kale salad. The lemon-honey-garlic dressing complements the sweetness from the roasted vegetables. Topping the salad with feta and pepitas gives it a savory note.

Cherry-Walnut Overnight Oats

Cream cheese, dried cherries and crunchy walnuts give this overnight oats recipe a cheesecake-like flavor and creamy texture. Fresh lemon zest adds a bit of zip, and a hint of sweetness from raw cane sugar blunts the tart edge of the fruit.

Fruit & Yogurt Smoothie

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster


This easy fruit smoothie recipe calls for just three ingredients: yogurt, fruit juice and frozen fruit. Mix up your fruit combinations from day to day for a healthy breakfast or snack that never gets boring.

Mustard-Dill Grilled Salmon & Vegetables

Photographer: Carson Downing, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek


In this easy grilled salmon recipe, the salmon is cooked on a cedar plank, one of the most foolproof ways of grilling. We call for zucchini, tomatoes and onion, but feel free to use your favorite vegetables instead.

Everything-Seasoned Almonds

Jennifer Causey

Grinding up the everything bagel seasoning in a spice grinder will help it adhere to the almonds.

Chicken & Quinoa Casserole

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen


This aromatic and flavorful dish feels like veggie pizza in casserole form with fresh basil, herb-spiked diced tomatoes and ooey-gooey melted cheese on top. If you can’t find fresh mozzarella ciliegine, buy a larger ball and tear it into pieces.  Preheating your baking sheets helps encourage caramelization of the roasted veggies, which adds layers of flavor to this savory dinner.

Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Egg Bites

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster


This egg bites recipe is inspired by Starbucks’ popular grab-and-go breakfast, with each bite filled with veggies surrounded by a light and creamy egg custard. Once you get the hang of making these, try switching up the veggies and cheese. You can also add grated garlic, chopped fresh herbs or even a few dashes of hot sauce to give them a little kick.

Lemon-Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf


These lemon-blueberry oatmeal bars taste like a hearty bowl of oatmeal that you can hold in your hands. Each square is bursting with fresh blueberries and infused with lemon zest. Once you get the hang of this easy breakfast, try them with raspberries or blackberries or swap out the almonds for toasted pecans or walnuts for a different spin.

Meal-Prep Vegan Lettuce Wraps

For this healthy lunch idea, we swap the traditional warm filling with a cold plant-based bean salad loaded with fresh herbs and lemon. Topping each lettuce leaf with a little quinoa before adding the filling helps to keep the wrap from getting soggy.

Purple Fruit Salad

Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy plums, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, green and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

Seared Tuna with Bulgur & Chickpea Salad

This healthy tuna recipe combines fresh fish, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs and chickpeas. Cooking for two? Flake the two leftover tuna steaks and mix them into the remaining bulgur salad, then serve over lettuce for lunch the next day.

Salsa-Topped Avocado Toast

Photography: Carson Downing, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabe Greco


Spin leftovers from taco night into this easy salsa-topped avocado toast for a quick snack or use it as a jumping-off point for breakfast by adding an egg on top. Single-serve packages of mashed avocado or guacamole can stand in for the fresh avocado.

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach

Diana Chistruga


This simple, ultra-quick chicken dinner—packed with spinach and peppers—is delicious on its own or served over brown rice or your favorite pasta.

Mixed-Berry Breakfast Smoothie

Robby Lozano


Smoothies are popular for breakfast, but many don’t have enough calories or nutrients to be considered a complete meal. This creamy berry smoothie has the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, and will keep you satisfied until your next meal.

Celeriac & Walnut Tacos

Fake out your meat-loving family and friends with this fast plant-based taco dinner recipe. Ground toasted nuts and chopped sautéed celeriac yield a texture similar to ground beef, then classic taco seasoning does the rest. If you want a little heat, sprinkle these healthy vegetarian tacos with some minced jalapeño.

Green Goddess Tuna Salad

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco


Canned tuna makes this recipe convenient and pantry-friendly while also offering an impressive punch of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, sardines or mackerel would work just as well in this quick recipe. Use the remaining herb sauce as a dressing for salads or grain bowls, as a spread on sandwiches or as a dip for vegetables. This recipe is easily doubled to make a big batch to meal-prep for the week. Serve on bread or in a wrap, over a bed of greens or scooped up with your favorite chips, crackers or cucumber slices.

EatingWell.com, June 2024

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