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The MIND diet is an eating pattern created by researchers at Rush University Medical Center that blends the Mediterranean diet with the DASH diet and scores 15 food groups: ten encouraged, such as green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, beans, whole grains and fish, and five limited, such as red meat, butter, cheese, sweets and fried food. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. Two 2015 observational studies linked higher scores with slower cognitive decline, but a three-year randomized trial published in 2023 found no significant difference in cognitive change compared with a control diet. This guide explains what is the MIND diet, lists MIND diet foods with USDA nutrition values, and walks through what the research does and does not show.
Peptide Labs does not sell a MIND diet program, MIND diet foods or memory supplements. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice, and it makes no claim that any diet can stop or delay dementia.
Key Takeaways
- The MIND diet score was published in 2015 by a Rush University team as a hybrid of Mediterranean and DASH eating.
- It counts 10 encouraged food groups and 5 limited ones, with berries and green leafy vegetables singled out.
- Observational studies of about 900 older adults linked higher scores with slower cognitive decline; the authors said this cannot prove cause and effect.
- The 2023 randomized trial of 604 adults found cognition improved in both groups, with no significant difference between them.
- Wine is one of the scored groups, but the Dietary Guidelines advise drinking less alcohol.
What is the MIND diet?
The MIND diet began as a scoring tool, not a cookbook. In 2015, Martha Clare Morris and colleagues at Rush University Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health built a score from food groups that earlier studies had tied to brain aging. They started from the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) pattern, then changed the emphasis. Earlier cohort studies had found slower cognitive decline in people who ate more vegetables, especially green leafy ones, but no link with fruit overall; berries were the exception in animal work and one large cohort. So the MIND score names green leafy vegetables and berries as their own groups, while the Mediterranean and DASH patterns count vegetables and fruit more broadly.
In the research version, each of the 15 components gets 0, 0.5 or 1 point depending on how often someone reports eating it on a food frequency questionnaire, for a total score out of 15. Olive oil is scored simply: one point if it is the main oil used at home. A higher score means closer to the pattern. Researchers used it to rate diets long before MIND was tested as an assigned diet.
MIND diet foods: the 15 scored food groups
The table lists the groups exactly as the 2015 paper named them, with common examples. The paper calls the first ten brain healthy food groups; that label reflects the authors’ hypothesis, not a proven effect.
| Food group | MIND category | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
| Green leafy vegetables | Encouraged | Spinach, kale, collards, lettuce |
| Other vegetables | Encouraged | Peppers, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes |
| Nuts | Encouraged | Walnuts, almonds, pecans |
| Berries | Encouraged | Blueberries, strawberries |
| Beans | Encouraged | Black beans, lentils, chickpeas |
| Whole grains | Encouraged | Oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread |
| Seafood | Encouraged | Salmon, sardines, trout |
| Poultry | Encouraged | Chicken, turkey |
| Olive oil | Encouraged | Scored by whether it is the main oil at home |
| Wine | Encouraged in the score | See the alcohol section below |
| Red meats | Limited | Beef, pork, lamb |
| Butter and stick margarine | Limited | Spreads and baking fats |
| Cheese | Limited | All cheeses |
| Pastries and sweets | Limited | Cakes, cookies, candy |
| Fried or fast food | Limited | Fries, fried chicken, fast-food meals |
Our guides to leafy greens, kale, strawberries, walnuts, black beans, lentils, chickpeas, sardines and olive oil cover several of these foods in detail.
MIND diet food list with USDA nutrition values
These values come from the USDA SR Legacy database, with the FoodData Central ID for each food and the percent Daily Value based on FDA Daily Values. Folate and vitamin E are shown because the 2015 paper described green leafy vegetables as sources of folate, vitamin E, carotenoids and flavonoids. The values describe the foods; they are not intake targets.
| Food (FDC ID) | MIND group | Calories | Fiber (%DV) | Folate (%DV) | Vitamin E (%DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach, raw, 1 cup (168462) | Green leafy | 7 | 0.7 g (2%) | 58 mcg DFE (15%) | 0.6 mg (4%) |
| Kale, raw, 1 cup (168421) | Green leafy | 7 | 0.9 g (3%) | 13 mcg DFE (3%) | 0.1 mg (1%) |
| Blueberries, raw, 1 cup (171711) | Berries | 84 | 3.6 g (13%) | 9 mcg DFE (2%) | 0.8 mg (6%) |
| Strawberries, raw, 1 cup (167762) | Berries | 46 | 2.9 g (10%) | 35 mcg DFE (9%) | 0.4 mg (3%) |
| Walnuts, 1 oz (170187) | Nuts | 185 | 1.9 g (7%) | 28 mcg DFE (7%) | 0.2 mg (1%) |
| Black beans, boiled, 1/2 cup (173735) | Beans | 114 | 7.5 g (27%) | 128 mcg DFE (32%) | 0.7 mg (5%) |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water, 1 cup (173905) | Whole grains | 166 | 4.0 g (14%) | 14 mcg DFE (4%) | 0.2 mg (1%) |
| Salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, 3 oz (171998) | Seafood | 155 | 0 g (0%) | 25 mcg DFE (6%) | Not listed |
| Chicken breast, roasted, 3 oz (171477) | Poultry | 140 | 0 g (0%) | 3 mcg DFE (1%) | 0.2 mg (2%) |
| Olive oil, 1 tbsp (171413) | Olive oil | 119 | 0 g (0%) | 0 mcg DFE (0%) | 1.9 mg (13%) |
One practical note: leafy greens are rich in vitamin K, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) says people taking warfarin need a consistent vitamin K intake from week to week, so a sudden jump in greens is worth discussing with the prescriber first; our vitamin K foods guide has the numbers.
MIND diet research: what the studies found
The 2015 observational studies
Both 2015 papers used the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a study of residents of more than 40 retirement communities and senior housing sites in the Chicago area who completed food questionnaires and annual clinical evaluations. In the first, 960 participants were followed for an average of 4.7 years; people in the top third of MIND scores declined more slowly than those in the bottom third, a gap the authors described as equivalent to being 7.5 years younger. In the second, 923 participants aged 58 to 98 were followed for about 4.5 years, and higher MIND scores were associated with lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. The authors were clear about the limits: the study was observational, so it could not show cause and effect, and a diet intervention trial was needed.
The 2023 randomized trial
That trial, published by Barnes and colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled 604 adults with no cognitive impairment, a family history of dementia, a body-mass index over 25 and a suboptimal diet. Half were assigned the MIND diet and half a control diet, and both groups had mild calorie restriction and regular counseling for three years. Global cognition scores improved in both groups (0.205 standardized units with MIND vs 0.170 with the control diet), and the difference between them was not statistically significant. Brain MRI measures, including hippocampal volume and white-matter changes, were also similar. The trial was funded by the National Institute on Aging.
| Study | Design | Participants | Main finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morris 2015, cognitive decline | Observational cohort, 4.7 years | 960 older adults | Higher scores associated with slower decline |
| Morris 2015, Alzheimer's diagnosis | Observational cohort, 4.5 years | 923 adults aged 58 to 98 | Higher scores associated with lower diagnosis rates |
| Barnes 2023, NEJM | Randomized controlled trial, 3 years | 604 adults without cognitive impairment | No significant difference in cognitive change vs control |
Why the cohort studies and the trial disagree
Observational studies compare people who already eat differently, and people with high diet scores may also differ in education, income, activity or health care in ways a statistical model cannot fully capture. A randomized trial removes much of that bias, but it asks a narrower question. In the 2023 trial the control group also cut calories and got counseling, so the comparison was MIND-specific food choices against a fairly healthy diet, not against a typical one. The honest summary: the specific MIND food list has not been shown to change cognition beyond the effects of a generally healthier, supervised diet.
Drug research on memory is a separate field; our GLP-1 and Alzheimer’s guide covers one recent example. The Nordic pattern, built on rye, oats, berries and fish, is another regional style worth comparing; see our Nordic diet guide.
Wine, fish, allergies and gluten
- Wine: wine is one of the scored groups, but the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, advise consuming less alcohol for better overall health and list people who should avoid it completely, including pregnant women and people taking medicines that interact with alcohol. This guide does not suggest starting to drink.
- Fish: salmon, sardines and herring are in the lowest-mercury group of the FDA and EPA advice about eating fish, which matters most during pregnancy and for young children.
- Allergies: fish, shellfish and tree nuts are major food allergens under US law, so allergic readers can keep the overall pattern while skipping those groups.
- Gluten: NIDDK notes that gluten occurs naturally in wheat, barley and rye; people with celiac disease should choose whole grains with their clinician or dietitian.
When to talk to a clinician
If you or a family member notice changes in memory, thinking or behavior, see a clinician rather than relying on a diet change; memory changes have many possible causes and need a proper evaluation. A registered dietitian can help adapt MIND-style food choices to kidney disease, diabetes, food allergies or blood thinner use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MIND diet in simple terms?
It is a hybrid of Mediterranean and DASH eating that encourages 10 food groups, such as leafy greens, berries, nuts, beans and fish, and limits 5, such as red meat, butter, cheese, sweets and fried food.
Does the MIND diet work for memory?
Observational studies linked it with slower cognitive decline, but the 2023 randomized trial found no significant difference in cognitive change versus a control diet over three years.
What foods are on the MIND diet food list?
Green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, olive oil and wine are scored as encouraged; the paper limits red meat, butter, cheese, pastries and fried food.
How is the MIND diet different from the Mediterranean diet?
MIND counts green leafy vegetables and berries as separate groups and does not count fruit in general. Both favor olive oil, fish, beans and whole grains.
Do I have to drink wine on the MIND diet?
No. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise drinking less alcohol, and some people should avoid it completely.
Who created the MIND diet?
Martha Clare Morris and colleagues at Rush University Medical Center, with Harvard School of Public Health co-authors, published the score in 2015.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Nordic Diet: What It Is, Foods, and What Trials Found, Mediterranean Diet: What It Is, Food List and What the Research Shows, Leafy Greens: USDA List of Dark Greens, Spinach vs Kale and Tips.