10 Unique Recipes Using Top Brain Foods

1 – Grilled Chicken Breasts -Blueberry-Shallot Relish

Blueberries are a popular ‘super food’ packed with antioxidants…but what does this have to do with brain health?  Scientists found that blueberries contain flavonoids., compounds that interact with nerve cells, increasing the communication between them and stimulating the regeneration of brain cells. Source 

Check out this savory recipe for Pan-Grilled Chicken Breasts with Blueberry-Shallot Relish

2 – Savory Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Crostini

Chocolate is another food packed with flavonoids. A study from Italy shows that people eating a high intake of chocolate performed better on a series of memory, verbal fluency and other cognition tests. In general, dark chocolate has more flavonoids, but be careful!  The “percent cocoa” listed on some labels is not a reliable gauge. When cocoa powder is highly processed—called Dutch or alkali processed—flavonoids are destroyed. Source Check out this recipe for Savory Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Crostini

Cruciferous veggies like kale, collard greens, spinach, and broccoli are good sources of Sulforaphane, a compound that is believed to help improve learning and memory abilities following brain injury.   Although many people sneak these leafy greens into their diet by hiding them in smoothies, Ellie Krieger’s recipe for Smokey Kale Chips makes them the star!

4 – Alpha Omega Salad

Seeds are rich in vitamin E which is very good for brain health and functioning. One ounce of dry-roasted sunflower seeds contains 30% of your recommended daily intake. Sprinkle them on top of your salad or make Alpha Omega Salad which features seeds and wheat berries.

5 – Caprese Salad Skewers

There is good evidence to suggest that lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, could help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s.
 Check out the recipe for Caprese Salad Skewers

6 – Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Peanut butter contain high levels of niacin, which is linked to the reduction in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The niacin contained within peanut butter helps in the recovery of cell damage of the brain, which provides protection against this disease. Try this peanut packed recipe for Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers 

7 – Honey Wasabi Glazed Salmon

We know that Omega 3 fatty acids are good for you, but why?  It is because sixty percent of your brain is composed of fatty acids and more than two-thirds of them are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish like Salmon.  DHA coats your neurons, or brain cells and makes up a majority of their cell membrane, the cell’s outer coating. Source Check out this paleo recipe for Honey Wasabi Glazed Salmon

8 – Udon Noodles with Avocado and Wasabi Dressing

Avocados have been known to lower blood pressure and they also promote healthy blood flow to the brain.  Sick of guacamole?  This Asian inspired recipe uses whole pieces of avocado tossed with udon noodles and beets. 

9 – Acai Berry Smoothie

The latest research presented at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston found that blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help put the brakes on age-related cognitive decline by preserving the brain’s natural “housekeeper” mechanism, which wanes with age.

 This mechanism helps get rid of toxic proteins associated with age-related memory loss. Source

Try this brain boosting smoothie recipe:

• 1 frozen banana

• .5 cup strawberries

• .5 cup blueberries

• .25 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

• 1 cup acai berry juice

• 10 ice cubes

10 – Oil Based Salad Dressing

Organic, cold-pressed, non-hydrogenated and virgin oils are good for brain health.  A University of Oxford study suggests that although the effects of coconut oil may be temporary, Alzheimer’s and dementia patients have indeed seen short-term benefits resulting from its use. Source

This salad dressing guide will help you make healthy and delicious dressings using fresh brain healthy ingredients.