15+ High Protein Dinner Recipes For Brain Health

Looking for dinner ideas to help improve your brain health? These recipes are great options to add to your menu! Each dish is made with delicious and flavorful ingredients like beans, beets and fish, which can help support better cognitive function. They are also high in protein, with at least 15 grams per serving. Try options like our Salmon Rice Bowl and Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema for a filling and tasty meal that will help you feel your best.

Salmon Rice Bowl

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this salmon rice bowl makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. With healthy ingredients like instant brown rice, salmon and veggies, you’ll have a flavorful meal in just 25 minutes.

Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema

Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

Crumbled tofu spiced up with Cajun seasoning is layered onto these tostadas with a juicy mango slaw. A dollop of sour cream zhuzhed up with beet and lime adds even more flavor. Look for precooked beets in the produce department of your grocery store.

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Walnuts are given a brown sugar coating that pairs nicely with sweet and savory shrimp in our version of this popular restaurant dish. Serve the shrimp with rice and steamed veggies to make it a full, healthy meal. This ultra-quick dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite.

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet

Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Salmon fillets cook quickly and are coated with a delicious creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This easy salmon dinner is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. The best news: You can get this meal on the table in 20 minutes flat.

Chicken Florentine

Classic chicken Florentine—creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets—is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.

Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

Ali Redmond

You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don’t forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.

Beet & Shrimp Winter Salad

This healthy dinner salad recipe gets its staying power from protein-packed shrimp and fiber-rich barley. With a simple red-wine vinaigrette, this quick salad makes just one serving but is easy to double or triple. Look for precooked beets with other prepared vegetables in the produce department.

Poached Cod & Green Beans with Pesto

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.

Grilled Lemon-Pepper Salmon in Foil

We’re willing to bet that this easy grilled salmon in foil recipe will become a regular in your weeknight dinner rotation. Cooking fish in foil keeps it super-moist, plus you don’t have to worry about the fish sticking to the grill. Butter, lemon pepper and fresh parsley perk up the flavors for this versatile main course. Cook some vegetables, such as asparagus, zucchini and corn, alongside the fish packets for a healthy dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes.

Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon

Blaine Moats

Salmon and walnuts are both great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Pair this easy walnut-crusted salmon recipe with a simple salad and a side of roasted potatoes for dinner.

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We’ve loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

Chicken & Vegetable Penne with Parsley-Walnut Pesto

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.

Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad

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

Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale

One-pot meals, like this all-in-one chicken thigh, kale and 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.

Slow-Cooker Borscht

Borscht is an Eastern European soup that typically features beets as a prominent ingredient, thus the resulting dish has a purple-red color. Our slow-cooker rendition is literally beefed up with brisket and showcases whole-grain rye berries, a source of fiber.

Rainbow Grain Bowl with Cashew Sauce

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.

Roasted Salmon Rice Bowl with Beets & Brussels

Roasting vegetables and salmon together on one sheet pan while the rice cooks makes an easy, satisfying meal packed with protein, whole grains and veggies. To ensure that you’re getting 100 percent whole grains, look for a wild rice blend that consists of wild and brown rice.

Shrimp & Cheddar Grits

The South’s version of creamy polenta, grits are easy to make on a weeknight–especially when topped with quickly broiled shrimp and scallions. Use the sharpest Cheddar you can find for these cheesy grits. Serve with sautéed greens and a tall glass of iced tea.

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