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7 Best Packaged Snacks for Brain Health

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February 3, 2025

You might think of packaged snacks as a last resort when you’re on the go. But when chosen wisely, snacks (even the packaged variety) can be a vital support for the various organs in your body — including your brain! Research increasingly shows that our dietary choices can have lasting impact on our cognitive function. Foods rich in antioxidants, for example, reduce the inflammation that may underlie cognitive decline, while those with ample omega-3 fatty acids may increase the brain’s ability to learn and remember.

Since most of us consume a meal’s worth of calories from snacks each day, these eating occasions are definitely an opportunity to boost brainpower. Looking for the best packaged snacks for brain health? Here are 7 options to let your noshing support your noggin.

1. MOSH Bars

Billed as “the protein bar for your brain,” MOSH bars were created in partnership with Maria Shriver and her son Patrick Schwarzenegger after the duo watched a loved one’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

These snacks keep cognitive function top of mind (literally). Each 180-calorie bar not only contains 12 grams of protein, it’s packed with ashwagandha, vitamins B12 and D3, omega-3 fats, lion’s mane mushroom, and Cognizin® Citicoline, a compound shown to support brain health and memory. Three flavors (cookie dough crunch, blueberry almond crunch, and lemon white chocolate crunch) keep snack time from getting boring.

Buy it: MOSH Bars

2. Oh! Nuts Walnut Snacks

Nuts are a top-tier snack for your brain, and walnuts might just be the best choice of all. A 2024 study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring found that higher blood levels of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (a fat found in walnuts) were linked to better use of glucose in parts of the brain at risk for dementia. This was especially true for participants with a higher genetic risk of Alzheimer’s.

For convenient crunching, snag some walnut snack packs like these ones from Oh! Nuts. Just store them in the fridge to prevent spoilage — all those healthy fats can go rancid quickly if they get too warm. 

Buy it: Oh! Nuts Walnut Snacks

3. Wholly Guacamole

It’s a fiesta for both your mouth and your brain when you grab some guacamole. Research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that monounsaturated fats like the ones in avocados are linked to general intelligence. According to the study’s authors, this relationship has to do with these fats’ effects on the brain’s attention network.

You can make the most of these brain-healthy fats with Wholly Guacamole’s snack packs. Avocados are their first ingredient! Use them for dipping fresh veggies, whole grain tortilla chips, or crackers.

Buy it: Wholly Guacamole

4. Kaimana Salmon Jerky

“Salmon” and “snack” aren’t often used in the same sentence. You probably think of this fatty fish as more of an entrée than a mid-day nosh. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to load up on salmon’s brain health benefits at snack time. 

Kaimana’s salmon jerky, for example, puts the healthy fats and high protein of salmon center stage for snacking. Each 1-ounce package is a good source of omega-3 fats with 12 grams of protein and just 90 calories.

Buy it: Kaimana Salmon Jerky

5. Brainiac Fruit Snacks 

Some packaged snacks for brain health just sort of happen to be good for your mental abilities. Others, like Brainiac fruit snacks, are specifically formulated to support cognitive wellness. Everyone from kids to seniors may benefit from these gummies’ antioxidants, including choline, which has been linked to positive effects on the brain, such as boosted memory and mood.

Meanwhile, Brainiac snacks are rich in omega-3s from fish oil. But don’t worry — they don’t taste like fish! Three fruity flavors include Mixed Berry, Tropical Tango, and Sour Apple. Each pouch makes for easy packing in lunch boxes, a gym bag, or purse.

Buy it: Brainiac Fruit Snacks

 6. Veggies Made Great Tomato Basil Frittatas 

Another good source of choline and lutein: eggs. According to a 2021 study, consuming more lutein benefitted brain function and structure in older adults. Another study from the same year found that women who ate five or more eggs per week had better semantic memory and executive function that those who ate fewer eggs.

When you don’t have the time to whip up your own frittata for an eggy snack, try these microwaveable ones from Veggies Made Great. The tomato basil variety features whole eggs — a very good thing, since the majority of lutein is found in egg yolks, while the majority of choline comes from its whites. 

Buy it: Veggies Made Great Tomato Basil Frittatas

7. Wild Planet Wild Tuna and Quinoa Salad 

Need something a little heartier at snack time? Check out Wild Planet’s Wild Tuna and Quinoa Salad. With both tuna and extra-virgin olive oil, it’s brimming with brain-healthy omega-3 fats. And since the only other ingredients here are veggies, quinoa, and spices — each of which boasts antioxidants to reduce inflammation — it’s a minimally processed choice between meals. 

Buy it: Wild Planet Wild Tuna and Quinoa Salad

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