5 Ways To Include Meat In A Brain-Healthy Diet
Plus, flavor-packed chicken miso meatballs in a quick cherry tomato sauce
Hello everyone,
I am writing to you from my home in Jackson where everyone is complaining about the weather—high winds, snow coming in powerful gusts and sheets, and icy streets. It’s actually perfect for me as I hunker down and recover from knee surgery. Plus, I am immersed in preparing lectures for my first semester-long college course in Women’s Brain Health. More on that soon, but for today’s newsletter, let’s continue our discussion of the recent data linking meat and dementia.
Last week we delved into the difference between processed and unprocessed meats and discussed the latest word on how much is safe to eat. Today I am providing a recap of key takeaways from that post, along with real-life tips to put these guidelines into place. While we’ve mostly been talking about red meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc), today let’s also touch on how poultry fits into the picture. Plus, I am sharing my favorite way to make meatballs, a recipe for Chicken Miso Meatballs with a Cherry Tomato Sauce.
The first newsletter of the month is always free. Please share!
Recap of the Link Between Meat Intake and Dementia
Meat has been a big question mark in brain healthy eating for a long time. Thankfully, recent studies give us valuable information about the role of eating meat in a brain-healthy diet. Unlike the decades of studies that came before them, these newer studies make a distinction between unprocessed and processed meat. And, we are getting a clearer picture of how much meat is safe to eat before putting the brain at risk. Below, find the takeaways—to dive deeper into the studies behind these tips, check out last week’s in-depth post.
You don’t have to eat meat to have a brain-healthy diet. There are plenty of good reasons to avoid eating red meat (beef, lamb, pork)—personal preference, planetary health, and concerns for the ethical treatment of animals, to name a few. Plus, meat is an important source of saturated fat in the diet, which can contribute to an increased risk of abnormal lipids (elevated LDL cholesterol), cardiovascular disease (especially atherosclerotic heart disease, or ASCVD), and type 2 diabetes. If you skip this entire food group, just be sure to hit target protein and other nutrient (vitamin B12, iron) needs in other ways—through plant foods, high-quality chicken and eggs (if you like), or supplements.
Processed meat puts the brain at risk for dementia. The biggest news to come out of the latest studies is that even small amounts of processed meats—like one piece of bacon or one slice of deli meat per day—translates to a measurable loss of cognitive health. The best practice for brain health is to limit or avoid these foods entirely.
Unprocessed meat may reduce dementia risk. On the other hand, unprocessed meat has probably been unfairly vilified in studies that lump it together with processed meats. Now that the most recent data distinguishes between types of meat consumed, we have a clearer picture of how much unprocessed meat is okay to eat. According to the UK Biobank, 2 ounces a day (3 ounces is a deck of cards-sized piece of meat). According to the Nurses’ Health Study, however, it’s best to keep meat intake under 1.5 ounces a day. The MIND diet guidelines (which showed a 53% reduction in Alzheimer’s risk over time) are aligned with this lower intake: no more than three 3-ounce servings a week.
Unprocessed meat provides brain health nutrients. It is biologically plausible that small amounts of unprocessed meat can help protect the brain from dementia. That’s because they provide nutrients important for healthy brain aging: protein, vitamin B12, and iron.
Simple swaps for processed meat have measurable brain gains. Swap out a piece of salami for a handful of nuts and you’ll save 1.37 years of cognitive aging. Giving up that slice of bacon with your eggs, adding a serving of beans instead, gets you 21% reduced risk of subjective cognitive decline (that is, how you perceive your own mental decline).
5 guidelines for including meat in a brain healthy diet
If you do choose to eat unprocessed meat on occasion, it is possible to do so within the framework of a brain-healthy dietary pattern.
Seek out the highest-quality products that are raised sustainably and ethically. This means rejecting all factory-farmed meat. Instead, seek out animal products from producers who favor raising grass-fed animals as sustainably as possible. Expect to pay more for high-quality meat while consuming it less frequently.
Rethink standard portion sizes. This requires a mindset shift: meat is no longer the main event. Instead, treat meat like a side dish or even a condiment. Reserve meat-centric meals (if you must) for holidays and special occasions. In the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle, eating meat, especially, was viewed as a luxury item reserved for Sundays and holidays, seasonal feasting, and other special occasions, not an everyday thing.
Always pair meat with an abundance of plant foods. Not only does this keep your overall dietary pattern plant-based, the plants act as a buffer to prevent the absorption of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).
Tip: Make sure your plate is at least ¾ FULL of plant foods like leafy greens, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Use gentle cooking methods. Brain-healthy cooking methods are important with all animal products, but especially red meat. Avoid searing, high-heat roasting, frying, and grilling over direct heat. Instead, adopt gentle techniques: braising, slow-cooking, indirect grilling, and sous-viding. Marinating meats before cooking will help reduce the formation of harmful AGE’s.
Seek out artisanal cured meats. If you enjoy the occasional piece of bresaola or prosciutto, find artisanal producers who treat meat without nitrates, sugar, excessive salt, or other chemicals. There is a long tradition of enjoying these cured meats in the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, mostly in small portions and on special occasions.
What about poultry?
Chicken, turkey, duck, and other poultry are considered a brain health food group in the MIND diet study, one of the top dietary patterns proven to reduce Alzheimer’s risk. MIND guidelines allow two or more small (under 3 ounces) servings a week, as long as it’s not fried. Poultry earned its inclusion in the guidelines by providing two essential brain health nutrients—choline and lutein—along with a good source of lean protein.
In my mind, poultry is optional in a brain-healthy diet as long as these nutrients are being covered. Eggs provide lutein and choline, and there are many alternative sources for lean protein. If you enjoy eating poultry, however, it’s important to seek out the highest quality product and cook it with brain-friendly cooking techniques.
My Chicken Miso Meatballs are a good example. Find the recipe below.
Besides recovering from knee surgery (which means PT is basically my life) and teaching, here’s what else I’ve been up to:
Getting ready for upcoming brain health retreats: I just returned from the Brain Health Retreat in Costa Rica and I cannot wait to bring more of you there next year. Registration is now open for a February 2026 retreat at the warm and welcoming Imiloa Institute. Next, I am headed to Puglia, Italy for another Brain Health, Food, and Fun. Our home base for this weeklong culinary vacation is a restored farmouse—Masseria Potenti—where we can relax at the spa, do yoga amongst the olive trees, and explore the heel of the boot of Italy. In May I’ll be heading to Sardinia to host a new retreat: Sardinia’s Secrets For a Long and Healthy Life, where we’ll explore Italy’s blue zone from the beaches to the mountain towns and meet the people famous for longevity.
Both Puglia and Sardinia are fully booked, but I have two more retreats lined up that I’ll announce soon. Sign up as a paying subscriber to get first dibs on spots.
I had a great discussion with the on her Substack. Beth has built an inspiring and supportive community centered around eating for metabolic health with an archive of recipes for keeping blood sugar in check.
Beth is offering BHK subscribers 25% off subscriptions to Nest Wellness. I highly recommend checking out her metabolic and brain-healthy recipes. Thanks Beth!
Guest posting on agebuzz.com: about the impact of ultra processed foods on brain health. Share this one with someone who needs to hear this!
Hanging out in the U.K. for a bit (at least virtually) with , author of the über-popular Substack . We talked about brain healthy habits for women at midlife, some of my favorite Italians, and why I try to stick to my caffeine curfew. Read the full post here.
RECIPE: CHICKEN MISO MEATBALLS WITH CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE AND ZUCCHINI NOODLES
Let’s face it: lean ground chicken may be a brain-healthier cut of chicken, but it needs a little help to be turned into amazing meatballs. These may not be my just like my nonna’s, but after tinkering with countless variations of this recipe, I can say they are just as delicious. And, they are certainly better for you.
Tips:
To make bread crumbs, remove the crust from 2 pieces of whole grain bread (preferably day-old) and pulse in a food processor until you have coarse crumbs.
Brushing the parchment-lined baking sheet with olive oil before baking keeps the meatballs from sticking. Feel free to drizzle them with a little more oil, too.
For gluten-free meatballs, use gluten-free bread crumbs or use ½ cup chickpea flour instead.
One medium (5- to 6-ounce) zucchini yields 1½ cups zucchini noodles if using the spaghetti-shaped blade. The only “cooking” they’ll need is a quick toss with the hot sauce.
Instead of zucchini noodles, serve with whole grain fettuccine or spaghetti cooked al dente.
Serves 4
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups cherry tomatoes
3 teaspoons minced garlic (from 3 to -4 large cloves), divided
Kosher salt
½ cup white wine, chicken or vegetable broth, or water
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound lean ground chicken or turkey
1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs or ½ cup chickpea flour
2 tablespoons white miso paste
1 large egg
3 medium zucchini, spiralized, or 4 to 5 cups premade zucchini noodles
Fresh basil, torn, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350ºF with a rack set in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil and set aside.
Warm the remaining ¼ cup oil in a large skillet (that has a lid) over medium-low heat. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to burst, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and a pinch of red pepper flakes (if using), stir to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Place the chicken, bread crumbs, miso paste, egg, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic in a medium bowl. Use your hands to gently combine, then roll and shape mixture into 1-inch balls, placing on the baking sheet as you work. You should have 25 to 30 meatballs. Bake until an instant-read thermometer placed in the center of a meatball reads 165º F and springy to the touch and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
When the meatballs are cooked through, slide them into the sauce, adjust the heat to low, and cook with the lid ajar until the sauce is thick enough to coat the meatballs, about 5 minutes.
To serve, divide zucchini noodles, meatballs, and sauce between 4 shallow bowls. Top with fresh basil.
That’s all for today
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Thank you, everyone, for reading, sharing, and taking the best care of your brains. I’ll be back next week to share some snippets from my class at Harvard and an updated post about how to get the medical care you need during menopause. Have the best week, friends.
Love,
Annie
Thanks again Dr.Fenn! I keep thinking of questions and then find an article you wrote. 😊
When it comes to red meat, wouldn’t looking at quantity of saturated fat come into play as well? For example, big difference in sat fat content for these two unprocessed grass-fed red meats: 80/20 ground beef vs steak
Please clarify/elaborate on the paragraph pasted below. Are you assuming a person eats one piece of processed meat/bacon a day or a year? Thank you!
"Simple swaps for processed meat have measurable brain gains.Swap out a piece of salami for a handful of nuts and you’ll save 1.37 years of cognitive aging. Giving up that slice of bacon with your eggs, adding a serving of beans instead, gets you 21% reduced risk of subjective cognitive decline (that is, how you perceive your own mental decline)."