Recipe: Pesto chopped salad

Designed specifically to help boost brain health, the MIND diet emphasizes leafy greens and whole grains, among other healthy items. When many people hear the word diet, they immediately think "bland" or "tasteless." Here's a recipe for a snack that challenges that notion, while fitting in with the MIND diet approach:

Pesto chopped salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package frozen corn
• 1 cucumber, peel on, cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted walnuts
• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 3 tbsp store-bought pesto
   

DIRECTIONS

1. Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Add pesto. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
2. Serves 4.
    

NOTES

• Try adding beans or legumes to the dish. Legumes are low in fat, are cholesterol free, and provide fiber, protein, B vitamins, and more.
• Add 1/2 cup of feta or blue cheese if you're looking for a different flavor.

Recipe adapted from The Forest Feast Mediterranean