January is here, and a time where we have set ourselves New Years’ resolutions, there’s always one that sits towards the top of the list. Eat healthier. When you start looking into new diets and meal plans, it's important to incorporate foods that are full of nutrients for all parts of your body. One that tends to go as a miss is food that’s good for your brain. Not to worry, we’ve created a list of our favourite brain food.

Coffee

Whether you start your morning with a Starbucks Latte or a simple home cappuccino, coffee is essential to a lot of people’s morning routine. But what you probably didn’t know is that coffee is good for your brain! Coffee has plenty of caffeine and antioxidants which block out adenosine (the chemical that makes you sleepy) to give you that morning boost. Caffeine also puts you in a good mood as it gives you a small serotonin boost. However, the best part about coffee is that it helps with concentration. A study showed that drinking a cup of coffee in the morning allowed the participants to be more efficient in their tasks throughout their day. 

Fish

Fish, especially fish that is high in fat is most peoples go-to brain food. Salmon, sardines, and trout are all great examples of fish that are high in omega 3 which is the type of fat that your brain is made of. Your brain is around 60% fat so, making sure your meals have omega 3 in is key to having a healthy brain as it allows you to learn new things and have a better memory. Eating fish has many health benefits aside from brain health as it is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals making it a great dish to add to your meal plan.

Broccoli 

Broccoli is a great example of a plant based brain food. It’s so high in Vitamin K that a 91g serving of Broccoli contains over your recommended daily intake! Having a high intake of Vitamin K has been linked to a better memory, and also great for bone health and allowing your wounds to heal quicker. Even better, it goes great with fish for the perfect healthy dinner.

Nuts

Improvement of heart health is the main positive aspect of eating nuts. However, keeping your heart healthy is linked to having a healthy brain. Nuts can help improve cognition and has been further linked to help prevent some brain diseases. Having nuts regularly is great for keeping your memory sharp and the other nutrients such as, healthy fats and antioxidants have brain health benefits similar to fish. 

Dark chocolate

Just like nuts, dark chocolate is a great snack to keep on your desk at work to give your brain a boost throughout the day. Cocoa powder is full of brain and mood boosting nutrients which makes it great for snacking on. Chocolate has been linked to enhanced memory and slowing mental decline. Either way, we have no complaints about having more chocolate in our diet!