Top 15 foods to improve your memory

Many of the foods we eat help to keep our brains healthy. Some, like fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices, contain plant compounds that help protect the brain. Others, like nuts, eggs and oily varieties of fish, contain beneficial fats and certain vitamins and minerals that the brain needs to ensure our memory – both short and long-term – remains sharp.

Best single food to start with

Nutritionists are right when they say there is no single ‘superfood’ that will sharpen your memory and make you think more clearly, but if you’re looking for a good starting point then oily fish, like sardines, mackerel and trout have an unquestionable reputation for their benefits for your brain’s health and how it functions.

Which foods are over-hyped vs worthwhile for brain health?

Foods that are worth adding to your brain-friendly diet include the aforementioned oily fish, colourful berries, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and eggs. Those to be a little more cautious towards include coconut oil, many ‘dark’ chocolate products and larger species of fish, such as tuna or swordfish, that may have high levels of contaminants such as mercury.

Discover our full range of health benefit guides, check out our 10 foods to boost your brain power and our top 20 mood-boosting recipes.

Which memory-boosting foods to prioritise based on your goal whether that be to improve short term focus, boost brain ‘energy’ or long-term healthy ageing...

View Nicola's recommendations at a glance

Start here with Nicola's recommendations:

Short term focus

1. Coffee

Time to achieve benefit: the effects of the caffeine and other compounds in coffee typically kick in within 10-15 minutes of consumption.

Best for: helping to boost concentration and mood during certain times of the day such as in the early morning. This may be helpful for those stressed by exams, especially if your exam takes place in the morning.

Easiest way to enjoy: best drunk as a hot beverage. Explore our coffee recipes to make the perfect flat white, cappuccino, and more.

2. Green tea

Time to achieve benefit: green tea has less caffeine than an average cup of coffee but it’s likely to take effect within a similar time frame.

Best for: green tea may improve alertness, enhance working memory and focus, especially when tasks are of long duration. Green tea is also rich in plant compounds that have a protective antioxidant effect on the brain.

Easiest way to enjoy: as a hot beverage or flavoured such as our green tea with grapefruit or iced green tea with mint & mango.

3. Dark chocolate (70% or more cacao content)

Made from the seeds of the cacao tree, dark chocolate is a rich, bitter-tasting chocolate made from processed cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It’s important to remember that most commercial chocolates are heavily processed and often include additional ingredients, like sugar. Look for a dark chocolate with at least 70% to 85% cacao content.

Time to achieve benefit: if you have an interview coming up, you’ll be interested to know that studies suggest the effects of dark chocolate may benefit verbal memory two hours after consumption.

Best for: enjoy moderate amounts of high-cocoa (70% or above) dark chocolate to improve blood flow, including that to the brain.

Easiest way to enjoy: reap the benefits with our recipes for healthy chocolate chia pudding and our black forest breakfast bowl.

4. Rosemary

Time to achieve benefit: smelling rosemary may have effects as quickly as within a few seconds to minutes, while dietary consumption is likely to take a few weeks to see benefits.

Best for: the smell of rosemary may significantly improve prospective (our ability to remember to do something) and retrospective memory. This was found to be helpful for exam students, as well as those over 65 years old.

Easiest ways to enjoy: try our rosemary fried potatoes and rosemary balsamic lamb with vegetable mash.

5. Walnuts

Time to achieve benefit: one study suggested that eating a handful (50g) of walnuts improved executive function and memory recall, within as little as 2-6 hours.

Best for: enjoying walnuts on a regular basis is good for the heart and supports blood circulation which has knock-on benefits for the brain. In fact, studies show that a higher nut intake is associated with better overall cognition for older age groups. Walnuts appear to have the edge over other nuts, as they are an especially good source of omega-3 fatty acids – munching just a few each day may improve both your memory and cognition speed.

Easiest way to enjoy: try our spaghetti with spinach & walnut pesto or our goat’s cheese, pear & walnut tartines.

Boost brain ‘energy’

6. Oily fish

Time to achieve benefit: regular consumption may see improvements within just six weeks.

Best for: studies suggest regular consumption reduces age-related brain loss and may improve memory and brain speed. It’s the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily varieties of fish that are responsible – these fats promote electrical signalling between nerve cells, allowing the brain to communicate quickly and easily. It’s also thought that they may help improve the brain’s ability to concentrate.

Easiest way to enjoy: try our spiced salmon with tray-baked sag aloo and smoked mackerel, courgette & butter bean salad.

7. Lean red meat

Time to achieve benefit: after consumption, it will take about 30 minutes to 2 hours before you might see any benefits in brain energy. This will depend on your digestion and what else you’ve eaten.

Best for: lean red meat is rich in an easily absorbable form of iron, this mineral supports the production of brain chemicals, as well as helps our blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, including to the brain, which helps maintain our attention and concentration. Eating adequate sources of iron may help you learn new things, improve memory and even support educational achievements.

Easiest way to enjoy: try this delicious steak & aubergine salad or make beef go further with our beef & lentil cottage pie with cauliflower topping.

8. Avocado

Time to achieve benefit: you may feel short term boosts within 2-3 hours but significant and structural improvements in brain health will take 12 weeks to 6 months of daily consumption.

Best for: avocados are nutrient-dense and rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, they are also a good source of protective vitamin E and phytonutrients, including carotenoids. As a result, studies suggest those that regularly eat avocado may have better recall and cognition than those who don’t.

Easiest way to enjoy: try our chicken & avocado sandwich topper for a memory-boosting lunch or enjoy our tomato penne with avocado.

Long-term brain health

9. Eggs

Time to acheive benefit: regular, moderate consumption of 3-7 eggs a week will begin to improve brain function, including memory, over the longer term.

Best for: eggs are nutritionally rich, supplying almost every nutrient you need. They are one of the best dietary sources of choline – this little-talked-about nutrient is needed for the formation of cell membranes and for brain function, including memory. It’s especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding, when an adequate supply is essential for the baby’s brain development.

Easiest way to enjoy: start the day well with our basil scramble or our mushroom brunch. If you choose eggs from brands that enrich the hen’s diet with omega-3 fatty acids, you’ll benefit from higher levels of these brain-boosting fats, too.

10. Blueberries

Time to achieve benefit: you may feel some benefits within just a few hours of consumption but the more significant and structural changes to the brain will take 12 weeks to 6 months of consistent consumption.

Best for: berries, and blueberries in particular, appear to have memory-enhancing properties thanks to plant flavonoids, known as anthocyanins. It appears these may improve memory and cognitive processes, whatever your age.

Easiest way to enjoy: in our warming porridge with blueberry compote and as a main meal in our chicken & avocado salad with blueberry balsamic dressing.

11. Red cabbage

Time to achieve benefit: the plant compounds found in red fruit and vegetables can produce a boost in cognition within just a few hours, however, more significant structural improvements to the brain, like better memory and neural connectivity, may take consistent daily intake over 6-12 weeks.

Best for: the vibrant colour of this cruciferous vegetable is thanks to anthocyanins, these are the same as those found in blueberries and have protective ‘antioxidant’ properties, which means they help the body combat the damaging effects of a process called oxidation. There's currently a lot of research evaluating how these plant compounds may benefit our health with animal studies suggesting an anti-aging role that may potentially reduce cognitive decline.

Easiest way to enjoy: our warming red cabbage, cauliflower & coconut dhal is the perfect comfort food or try chorizo & red cabbage tacos.

12. Green leafy vegetables

Time to achieve benefit: regularly including leafy greens in the diet may have an effect on enhanced attention and memory recall after 10-12 weeks, however, the most significant benefits are achieved after 5 or more years.

Best for: leafy greens like kale, spinach and watercress are rich in vitamins and phyto-nutrients including lutein, folate, vitamin E and a plant compound called kaempferol. Together these may help slow cognitive decline and improve memory, especially as we age.

Easiest way to enjoy: aim for at least one serving of greens each day, try our creamy pesto kale pasta or spinach & sweet potato dhal.

13. Peanuts

Time to achieve benefit: regular and consistent consumption over 16-24 months may improve brain function.

Best for: may enhance memory function and improve the stress response in a healthy young population.

Easiest way to enjoy: start your day with our peanut butter overnight oats and enjoy this rice noodle salad with peanut butter tempeh for a plant-based supper.

14. Pumpkin seeds

Time to achieve benefit: some nutrients in pumpkin seeds can have an almost immediate effect while others may have a cumulative effect over several weeks.

Best for: being a rich source of the memory-enhancing mineral zinc and a good source of B vitamins, pumpkin seeds may provide protection for the brain as we age and support memory function.

Easiest way to enjoy: snack on roasted pumpkin seeds and try charred cauliflower pasta with pumpkin seed pesto for a delicious evening meal.

15. Soya

Time to achieve benefit: it typically takes 6-12 weeks of consistent consumption to experience any measurable effects on brain function, with random control studies suggesting a longer 12-16 weeks for tangible results.

Best for: there is some evidence that including soya in your diet may improve both long-term and short-term memory. The study noted significant improvements in both men and women, this included an improvement in mental flexibility.

Easiest way to enjoy: try our black bean tofu & avocado rice bowl or our tofu with stir-fried noodles, pak choi & sugar snap peas.

More on food and the brain:

5 ways the food you eat affects your brain
5 foods to boost your child's brain power
How to eat for exams
Top 10 sources of omega-3
Top 10 health benefits of tea
Brain-boosting recipes

What foods help your memory? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below….

This guide was reviewed on 19 May 2026 by Kerry Torrens

Nicola Shubrook is a nutritional therapist and works with both private clients and the corporate sector. She is an accredited member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) and the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). Find out more at urbanwellness.co.uk.

Kerry Torrens is a qualified Nutritionist (MBANT) with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.

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