24 30-Minute Dinners That Can Help Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer's Disease (2024)

If you're looking to keep your brain sharp, try one of these healthy dinner recipes. These recipes feature ingredients from the MIND diet, an eating plan that focuses specifically on foods that can help reduce your risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. From ingredients like whole grains to poultry and more, the MIND diet includes components of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet to help you stay sharp and healthy as you age. Recipes like Two-Pepper Shrimp with Creamy Pecorino Oats and Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Warm Barley Salad are nutritious, flavorful and ready in 30 minutes.

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Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad

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This zesty quinoa salad is delicious all on its own, with some serious Mediterranean flair. Make a double batch for lunches later in the week.

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Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Warm Barley Salad

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Barley and pistachios give this healthy chicken recipe a double dose of nutty flavor. For an easy change-up, swap in your favorite whole grain, such as brown rice, farro or quinoa.

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Two-Pepper Shrimp with Creamy Pecorino Oats

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Oats are not just for breakfast! In this play on shrimp & grits, we simmered oats with scallions and cheese for a savory, creamy dish reminiscent of risotto. You'll even get your veggies with the sautéed baby spinach on the side. Serve with hot sauce and a glass of unoaked Chardonnay.

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Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Tahini Sauce

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This vibrant bowl is packed with nutrients to keep you full for hours. Look for precooked lentils in the refrigerated section of the produce department.

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Escarole & White Bean Salad with Swordfish

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In this healthy fish recipe, meaty swordfish gets a dusting of herbs before being pan-seared. Then it's served on top of a healthy escarole and white bean salad with a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette.

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Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale

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One-pot meals, like this all-in-one chicken thigh, kale and Israeli couscous recipe, are perfect for nights when you want to keep cleanup to a minimum. Look for Israeli couscous--small pearl-shaped pasta made from semolina flour--near other Middle Eastern dry goods in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty-foods stores.

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Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce

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Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind!

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Chickpea Coconut Curry

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Here, coconut milk adds creaminess while keeping the dish vegan. Serve over basmati rice or with a side of naan.

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Poached Cod & Green Beans with Pesto

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Using just one skillet, this easy fish recipe cooks cod right on top of fresh green beans and uses the same pan to make a flavorful sauce. The result is perfectly flaky fish, tender-crisp vegetables, a savory pan sauce and very little cleanup.

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Chicken & Vegetable Penne with Parsley-Walnut Pesto

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Homemade pesto may seem daunting, but in this quick pasta recipe you can make a simple sauce in minutes while the pasta water comes to a boil. You can substitute frozen green beans and cauliflower for fresh; in Step 4, cook the frozen vegetables according to package directions before tossing with the pasta and pesto.

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Farro White Bean Cups

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This tasty grain and bean dish is vegan friendly!

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Pistachio-&-Halloumi-Crusted Halibut

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The high melting point of briny halloumi cheese keeps it firm even when you cook it until crispy at high heat. It's a good choice for combining with nuts and breadcrumbs for the crunchy topping on this fish. Since your oven is already on, make some roasted potatoes to serve alongside.

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Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl

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It seems grain bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!

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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans

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Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets.

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Almond-Thyme-Crusted Mahi Mahi with Lemon Chardonnay Sauce

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Firm, mild-flavored mahi mahi gets a delicate coating of almonds and bread crumbs and a drizzle of a light white-wine sauce for a main dish that's quick and a little bit fancy.

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Vegetarian Gumbo

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This flavorful vegan dinner is a veggie version of the Louisiana classic. It's chock-full of butternut squash, tomatoes, poblano peppers and okra, to name just a few. This vegetarian gumbo is a quick dinner packed with flavor and spice that's done in only 30 minutes. To make it a meal, serve it with cornbread drizzled with olive oil.

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25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas

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These chicken enchiladas are great for using up any veggies you have lingering in your fridge. Our chicken enchilada recipe calls for zucchini, squash and onion, but you could easily swap in spinach, onions or potatoes.

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Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto

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We love using chickpea pasta in this quick and easy dinner recipe, but other bean pastas or whole-wheat noodles are just as good with this fresh and zesty pesto sauce.

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Turkey & Bean Soup

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Be creative with your holiday leftovers--there's more to after-Thanksgiving eating than cold turkey sandwiches. This simple turkey soup is loaded with cannellini beans, which add protein and fiber without adding calories. Enjoy this soup any time of the year by making our Herb-Roasted Turkey & Vegetables (see associated recipe), which makes enough for a meal as well as this soup.

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Almond-&-Lemon-Crusted Fish with Spinach

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Coating fish with nuts and baking it is an easy, foolproof way to cook it elegantly. And it is especially nice with a mild white fish like cod or halibut. The spinach turns a little yellowy because it's cooked with the acidic lemon juice, but what you lose in green color is more than made up for in great flavor.

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Chicken & Veggie Fajitas

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Time to clean out the fridge? These versatile skillet chicken fajitas are designed to work with whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand. The key is to slice all the veggies to approximately the same size so they cook evenly.

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Grilled Salmon and Peaches with Basil-Pistachio Gremolata

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Grilling a large salmon fillet is a surefire way to wow guests at the table. It's also easier than grilling individual fillets and adds a little insurance against overcooking. If you're nervous about grilling the fish, take heart: You don't have to flip it, the skin keeps it intact, and even though you're cooking it over both direct and indirect heat, it stays put on the grill. The skin crisps up beautifully, and the spice rub adds bold notes that pair well with sweet peaches and red onion.

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Mac & Cheese with Collards

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Dark leafy collards add bold flavor and boost the calcium in this healthy skillet mac and cheese recipe with a crispy topping. If you don't have collards, kale, Swiss chard and spinach are delicious substitutes.

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Arctic Char on a Bed of Kale

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Arctic char, related to salmon and trout, is sustainably farmed, making it a "best choice" for the environment. It has a mild flavor and cooks up quickly. We like the taste and texture of lacinato (aka dinosaur) kale in this dish. Serve with mashed potatoes.