5 Brain Foods You Should Be Eating

The key to eating for brain health is to focus mostly on plant foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts—healthy fats like olive oil, and fish, says Gary Small, MD, chair of psychiatry at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. "I recommend everyone aim for 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day," he says.

A good general rule is to make sure that your plate at each meal contains about ½ fruits and veggies; ¼ healthy protein like fish, eggs, poultry, or beans; and ¼ fiber-rich whole grains like oats or brown rice, says Grace Derocha, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Meal timing is important, too. If you go too long without eating, your blood sugar dips, which has a negative impact on brain function, Derocha says. She suggests eating every 3 to 5 hours. Breakfast is particularly important, even if you don’t feel hungry. A 2025 study published in the Journal of Neurorestoratology found that older adults who skipped that meal were more at risk of cognitive decline.

No single superfood or nutrient is guaranteed to enhance brain function, but you’ll want to include certain foods in your diet frequently. They include:

• Fatty fish. Older adults who eat fish at least six times a month do better on cognitive tests than those who consume it less than twice a month, according to a 2024 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Most fish, especially fatty fish like salmon or sardines, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids," Small says. "These help keep brain cell membranes soft and flexible, which boosts blood flow to your brain and reduces your risk of stroke, which is another cause of cognitive decline in older adults." The American Heart Association recommends eating two 3-ounce servings of fish a week. Canned fish counts, too.

• Berries. Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are learning and memory powerhouses, according to Small. "Their blue, purple, and red skins contain plant compounds called anthocyanins, which support brain health by reducing inflammation," he says. The MIND diet recommends eating at least 2 cups of berries a week, but if you can, have a half-cup or more daily. Frozen berries are fine. "Research suggests that freezing them actually increases their anthocyanin content," he says.

• Leafy greens. In a 2023 study in the journal Neurology, older adults who ate at least seven servings of greens a week had less beta-amyloid buildup in their brains—a marker for Alzheimer’s—than those who had less than two servings. "They are rich in nutrients, such as lutein, folate, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, that are associated with cognitive health," says Puja Agarwal, PhD, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago. The easiest way to include leafy greens in your diet is to have a salad with at least a cup of greens, such as kale, arugula, or spinach, Agarwal says. But don’t stop there: Throw in a mix of other colorful veggies, too, like red or yellow peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and purple cabbage. Different colors supply different antioxidants and nutrients.

• Beans. People who replaced a daily serving of processed red meat with nuts or legumes like beans had about a 20 percent lower risk of dementia and the rate of cognitive aging, according to a 2025 study published in Neurology. Beans are particularly rich in soluble fiber, which we think may be protective against brain inflammation," Agarwal says. She’s currently studying whether a diet high in soluble fiber—found in foods like beans, oats, peas, apples, brussels sprouts, and avocados—helps to reduce dementia risk over time. "The theory is that it causes good changes in your gut microbiome, which in turn help to ramp down inflammation in your brain," she says. Aim for 2 to 3 cups of beans a week. Rinse canned beans before you eat them to reduce sodium.

• Coffee or tea. People who drank two to three 8-ounce cups of coffee or 1 to 2 cups of tea per day were about 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who had none, according to a 43-year study involving more than 130,000 people that was published in 2026 in JAMA. Decaf coffee didn’t have the same effect. But if caffeine makes you jittery, you can skip those drinks.

• Ultraprocessed foods. A study of middle-aged and older adults published in 2023 in JAMA Neurology found that those who consumed the most UPFs—such as sugary sodas and processed meats—had a 28 percent faster rate of cognitive decline vs. those who consumed the least.

• Red meat. Older adults who ate a serving a day or more had a 16 percent higher risk of cognitive decline vs. those who had less than half a daily serving, a 2025 study in Neurology found.

• Salty foods. Sodium damages blood vessels to the brain and raises blood pressure (a major risk factor for strokes). About 70 percent of the sodium that people in the U.S. eat comes from packaged, prepared, and restaurant foods. "If you limit those, you’ll naturally decrease your salt intake," says Agarwal.

Here’s an example of how you can add brain foods to your diet throughout the day.

Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal prepared with water, topped with ½ cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Coffee with milk, no sugar.

Snack: 1 apple and 1 ounce of almonds.

Lunch: A salad of 3 cups of baby spinach with ¼ cup each of chopped cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper; ¼ cup quinoa; ⅓ cup chickpeas; 3 ounces sliced chicken; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; and 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Dinner: Grilled salmon with olive oil and lemon, ½ cup of farro, and 1 cup of string beans sautéed in garlic and olive oil.

Dessert: 1 cup sliced strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the June 2026 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.