How consistently do you include plant-based omega-3 sources — walnuts, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp seeds — in your meals?

Occasionally (a few times a month)

How often do you eat foods fried in or made with refined vegetable oils — such as sunflower, corn, or soybean oil — or regularly consume ultra-processed snack foods?

Rarely — I mostly use olive oil or minimal fat

Keeping omega-3-rich foods in your week — which of these honestly sounds like you?

I stay flexible — I don't lock into fixed omega-3 foods, I just eat what feels right for that day and trust it balances out over the week

I mean to include a fish or plant source but it's usually improvised rather than planned, so some weeks it slips

I have one reliable omega-3 source I use most weeks, though not always both fish and plant sources

I keep two specific omega-3 anchors — a fixed fish night and a daily plant source — that I hit every week regardless of how I feel

When you think about leafy greens in your week, which is the most honest description?

I like to keep meals varied and spontaneous — I don't want the same greens on repeat, so they show up only when something different catches my eye

I mean to add greens regularly but it depends on the week — some weeks they barely feature

I have a green I default to most days, even if I don't branch out much

I eat two or more portions of leafy greens daily, deliberately, regardless of what else is on the plate

How consistently do you drink green tea, black tea, or minimally processed coffee on most days?

Occasionally (a few times a week)

Two or more cups daily, as a deliberate habit

How diverse is your weekly intake of plant foods — do you regularly eat many different vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, or do you tend to rely on a narrow range?

Very limited — I eat a narrow range of the same foods

Somewhat limited — some variety but often the same choices

Moderate — reasonable variety with some categories rarely appearing

High — I actively vary fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and grains

For vitamin B12 specifically, what's your honest approach?

I don't like to fuss over individual nutrients — I eat naturally and trust that a generally healthy diet takes care of things like B12 without needing a dedicated source

I get B12 sometimes through what I eat but I don't go out of my way to make sure it's there every day

Most days something in my diet provides B12, even if I'm not deliberately tracking it

I make sure a specific, reliable B12 source — animal product or fortified food — is in my diet every day, deliberately

How varied is your intake of foods rich in vitamin B6 and riboflavin — poultry, fish, whole grains, bananas, potatoes, and dairy?

Limited — I eat few of these foods

Some — a handful of these appear occasionally

Moderate — a few of these appear most days

Varied — several of these feature consistently across the week

How consistently does your overall dietary pattern include minimally processed whole foods — the foods that naturally supply the full B-vitamin spectrum without fortification?

Not at all consistent — my diet is largely ultra-processed

Somewhat inconsistent — reasonable some days, poor on others

Mostly consistent — whole foods most days with some gaps

Very consistent — whole foods are the backbone of my daily diet

How often do you eat refined carbohydrate foods — white bread, white rice, pastries, or sugary snacks — as a regular part of your daily diet?

Daily, often more than once a day

Occasionally — not a consistent part of my daily pattern

How often do you deliberately pair carbohydrate-containing foods with a protein source or high-fibre vegetables at the same meal, rather than eating carbohydrates alone?

Rarely — I often eat carbohydrates alone

Sometimes — perhaps half my meals have this balance

Usually — most meals include some protein and fibre

Consistently — I pair carbohydrates with protein and fibre at every meal

How often do you drink sugar-sweetened beverages — fizzy drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, or sweetened teas and coffees?

Occasionally (a few times a month)

How would you honestly describe your approach to variety in what you eat each week?

I keep things simple — I don't feel the need to constantly introduce new foods, I'm happy eating the same reliable handful of plant foods on repeat

I eat a modest range and occasionally add something different, but it's not a deliberate habit

I actively rotate through a fairly wide range of plant foods, even if I haven't counted

I deliberately eat a large and varied range of plant foods — more than 30 different types most weeks

How consistently do you eat prebiotic-rich foods — onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, bananas, oats, or similar foods that feed beneficial gut bacteria?

Most days, at least one prebiotic source

Daily — prebiotic foods appear consistently across most meals

How regularly do you eat legumes — lentils, beans, chickpeas, or peas — and whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, or wholegrain bread?

One of these categories, occasionally

Both categories feature consistently most days

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Where Your Brain-Nutrition Habits Actually Start

Your Brain Food Profile

Where Your Brain-Nutrition Habits Actually Start

A 20-scenario self-report that groups your selected answer points across five editorial dimensions. It is not a validated measure of an underlying trait.

20 scenarios5 groups4 forced choicesno neutral option

Topic context from the cited source; it does not validate this questionnaire or its score thresholds.

— Thomas et al. (2020)

What your answers coverOmega-3 & Fatty AcidsGetting your fats mainly from fish and plants rather than refined oils.Polyphenol DiversityEating a wide range of berries, greens and other colourful plant foods.B-Vitamin AdequacyGetting enough folate, B12 and other B-vitamins from whole foods.Glucose StabilityEating in a way that likely keeps your blood sugar steady.Gut Microbiome SupportEating in a way that feeds and supports your gut bacteria.

Brain Food Self-Reflection: How Does Your Plate Match the Research?

Twenty forced-choice scenarios are summed into editorial answer-score bands; the result does not diagnose or measure an underlying trait.

~7-9 min · Item answers and results stay on this device · Share links and invite cards carry no scores

Answer for your real meals lately, not your shopping list.

A structured self-reflection — not a diagnostic.

This assessment is a structured self-reflection tool and educational resource — it is not a validated diagnostic and is not a substitute for clinical evaluation. Every dimension insight references peer-reviewed literature for educational context only. If you have concerns about your health, consult a qualified professional. Self-report instruments of this kind have no validated retest interval; the four-to-six-week Second Reading is a sensible practice, not a clinical standard.

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Brain Food Self-Reflection: How Does Your Plate Match the Research?

This literature-informed structured self-reflection adds up what you select about five food-habit groups — omega-3 intake, polyphenol diversity, B-vitamin adequacy, blood glucose stability, and gut microbiome support. It cannot measure a nutrient deficiency, and it cannot tell you whether your diet is helping or harming your cognition.

Interactive scoring requires JavaScript. You can still read every question and answer option below.

How often do you eat oily fish — salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, or herring?
- Rarely or never
- A few times a month
- About once a week
- Twice a week or more
How consistently do you include plant-based omega-3 sources — walnuts, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp seeds — in your meals?
- Rarely or never
- Occasionally (a few times a month)
- A few times a week
- Daily or most days
How often do you eat foods fried in or made with refined vegetable oils — such as sunflower, corn, or soybean oil — or regularly consume ultra-processed snack foods?
- Daily or near-daily
- Most days
- A few times a week
- Rarely — I mostly use olive oil or minimal fat
Keeping omega-3-rich foods in your week — which of these honestly sounds like you?
- I stay flexible — I don't lock into fixed omega-3 foods, I just eat what feels right for that day and trust it balances out over the week
- I mean to include a fish or plant source but it's usually improvised rather than planned, so some weeks it slips
- I have one reliable omega-3 source I use most weeks, though not always both fish and plant sources
- I keep two specific omega-3 anchors — a fixed fish night and a daily plant source — that I hit every week regardless of how I feel
How often do you eat berries — fresh or frozen — or other deeply coloured fruits such as cherries, pomegranates, or dark grapes?
- Rarely or never
- A few times a month
- A few times a week
- Daily or most days
When you think about leafy greens in your week, which is the most honest description?
- I like to keep meals varied and spontaneous — I don't want the same greens on repeat, so they show up only when something different catches my eye
- I mean to add greens regularly but it depends on the week — some weeks they barely feature
- I have a green I default to most days, even if I don't branch out much
- I eat two or more portions of leafy greens daily, deliberately, regardless of what else is on the plate
How consistently do you drink green tea, black tea, or minimally processed coffee on most days?
- Rarely or never
- Occasionally (a few times a week)
- One cup on most days
- Two or more cups daily, as a deliberate habit
How diverse is your weekly intake of plant foods — do you regularly eat many different vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, or do you tend to rely on a narrow range?
- Very limited — I eat a narrow range of the same foods
- Somewhat limited — some variety but often the same choices
- Moderate — reasonable variety with some categories rarely appearing
- High — I actively vary fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and grains
How often do you eat folate-rich foods — dark leafy greens, legumes, asparagus, or broccoli?
- Rarely or never
- Once or twice a week
- Most days
- Daily, with deliberate variety
For vitamin B12 specifically, what's your honest approach?
- I don't like to fuss over individual nutrients — I eat naturally and trust that a generally healthy diet takes care of things like B12 without needing a dedicated source
- I get B12 sometimes through what I eat but I don't go out of my way to make sure it's there every day
- Most days something in my diet provides B12, even if I'm not deliberately tracking it
- I make sure a specific, reliable B12 source — animal product or fortified food — is in my diet every day, deliberately
How varied is your intake of foods rich in vitamin B6 and riboflavin — poultry, fish, whole grains, bananas, potatoes, and dairy?
- Limited — I eat few of these foods
- Some — a handful of these appear occasionally
- Moderate — a few of these appear most days
- Varied — several of these feature consistently across the week
How consistently does your overall dietary pattern include minimally processed whole foods — the foods that naturally supply the full B-vitamin spectrum without fortification?
- Not at all consistent — my diet is largely ultra-processed
- Somewhat inconsistent — reasonable some days, poor on others
- Mostly consistent — whole foods most days with some gaps
- Very consistent — whole foods are the backbone of my daily diet
When hunger hits between meals, what's your honest instinct?
- I push through it — I don't like being ruled by the clock or 'needing' to eat on schedule, so I just wait until I'm properly hungry, however long that takes
- I try to eat around the same times but skipping or delaying happens often enough that it's not really a fixed pattern
- I mostly eat at the same times each day, with occasional gaps
- I eat at consistent, predictable intervals and don't let long gaps build up, regardless of how busy the day gets
How often do you eat refined carbohydrate foods — white bread, white rice, pastries, or sugary snacks — as a regular part of your daily diet?
- Daily, often more than once a day
- Most days
- A few times a week
- Occasionally — not a consistent part of my daily pattern
How often do you deliberately pair carbohydrate-containing foods with a protein source or high-fibre vegetables at the same meal, rather than eating carbohydrates alone?
- Rarely — I often eat carbohydrates alone
- Sometimes — perhaps half my meals have this balance
- Usually — most meals include some protein and fibre
- Consistently — I pair carbohydrates with protein and fibre at every meal
How often do you drink sugar-sweetened beverages — fizzy drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, or sweetened teas and coffees?
- Daily or more
- Several times a week
- Occasionally (a few times a month)
- Rarely or never
How consistently do you eat fermented foods — plain yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, or kombucha?
- Rarely or never
- Occasionally (a few times a month)
- A few times a week
- Daily or most days
How would you honestly describe your approach to variety in what you eat each week?
- I keep things simple — I don't feel the need to constantly introduce new foods, I'm happy eating the same reliable handful of plant foods on repeat
- I eat a modest range and occasionally add something different, but it's not a deliberate habit
- I actively rotate through a fairly wide range of plant foods, even if I haven't counted
- I deliberately eat a large and varied range of plant foods — more than 30 different types most weeks
How consistently do you eat prebiotic-rich foods — onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, bananas, oats, or similar foods that feed beneficial gut bacteria?
- Rarely or never
- Once or twice a week
- Most days, at least one prebiotic source
- Daily — prebiotic foods appear consistently across most meals
How regularly do you eat legumes — lentils, beans, chickpeas, or peas — and whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, or wholegrain bread?
- Rarely or never
- One of these categories, occasionally
- One category most days
- Both categories feature consistently most days

Appendix · Method & evidence Nutri · Case file

How this instrument works

This is a 20-item structured self-assessment of your brain-nutrition habits, read across 5 dimensions: Omega-3 & Fatty Acids; Polyphenol Diversity; B-Vitamin Adequacy; Glucose Stability; and Gut Microbiome Support. Each item is a concrete scenario with four forced-choice responses — no neutral midpoint, so every answer commits to a direction — and response order is shuffled on every run to vary position; this implementation has not been tested for bias reduction. 5 of the 20 items are reverse-keyed — the attractive-sounding response is the structurally weak one — with wording intended to challenge socially desirable framing; this design has not been tested for bias reduction.

Scoring combines an overall reading with a per-dimension profile. Cascade flags compare configured dimension totals with editorial thresholds. They do not establish a compound risk and may not reflect the item-level pattern. The result bands are editorial guidance, not clinical thresholds: they organise the reading, they do not describe.

Every dimension insight cites peer-reviewed literature, and most answer reveals do — 7 sources back this instrument, each with DOI metadata supplied at build time; source relevance and claim interpretation remain editorial judgments. Compiled by the High Performance Culture editorial team. Instrument v1.1 · August 2026.

Read the full assessment methodology →

Items: 20
Dimensions: 5
Format: Forced choice, 4 options
Sources: 7
Instrument: v1.1 · August 2026

The 5 editorial answer groups

Omega-3 & Fatty Acids

Strength here looks like eating oily fish at least twice a week, including plant omega-3 sources daily, and keeping refined omega-6 oil use low.

The vulnerable pattern: relying on neither oily fish nor plant-based omega-3 sources, and eating a diet high in refined oils.

Sample itemHow often do you eat oily fish — salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, or herring?

First structural move: Add oily fish twice this week and one plant omega-3 source daily — tinned sardines or mackerel, and ground flaxseed or walnuts. This is a specific, observable change; it does not predict an effect on your cognition.

Go deeperProtocol: The Cognitive Fuel Protocol →Glossary: Omega-3 fatty acids →

Polyphenol Diversity

Strength here looks like eating colourful fruit and leafy greens daily, drinking tea or coffee consistently, and actively varying the range of plant foods.

The vulnerable pattern: rarely eating colourful plant foods, relying on a narrow plant range, and missing daily variety.

Sample itemHow often do you eat berries — fresh or frozen — or other deeply coloured fruits such as cherries, pomegranates, or dark grapes?

First structural move: Add frozen berries to breakfast daily and one more leafy green portion this week. These are two specific habits to try — not a guaranteed cognitive effect.

Go deeperGlossary: Polyphenols →Glossary: Mediterranean diet →

B-Vitamin Adequacy

Strength here looks like eating folate-rich foods daily, maintaining a consistent B12 source, and building meals around whole foods rather than relying on fortification alone.

The vulnerable pattern: eating few folate-rich foods, lacking a reliable B12 source, and relying heavily on ultra-processed foods.

Sample itemHow often do you eat folate-rich foods — dark leafy greens, legumes, asparagus, or broccoli?

First structural move: Identify your daily B12 source and add a folate-rich food to every day — a tin of legumes, a handful of leafy greens, or a piece of fish. This is a specific dietary habit to try; it is not a test for a deficiency.

Go deeperProtocol: The Energy Systems Protocol →Glossary: ATP →

Glucose Stability

Strength here looks like eating at regular intervals, pairing carbohydrate meals with protein and fibre, and limiting refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks.

The vulnerable pattern: skipping meals or eating irregularly, and relying on refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks without protein or fibre.

Sample itemWhen hunger hits between meals, what's your honest instinct?

First structural move: Set a fixed breakfast and lunch time, then add a protein source to every carbohydrate meal this week. These are two specific habits to observe, not a guaranteed effect on energy or focus.

Go deeperDeep dive: Sugar and the Brain →Glossary: Glycaemic load →Glossary: Glucose →

Gut Microbiome Support

Strength here looks like eating fermented foods daily, eating a wide range of plant food types weekly, including prebiotic sources, and anchoring meals around legumes and whole grains.

The vulnerable pattern: rarely eating fermented foods, relying on a narrow plant range, and avoiding legumes and whole grains.

Sample itemHow consistently do you eat fermented foods — plain yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, or kombucha?

First structural move: Add one fermented food daily and one additional plant food type this week — plain yoghurt and a tin of lentils, or a new vegetable. This is a specific habit to try, not a measure of your microbiome.

Go deeperProtocol: The Vagus Nerve Protocol →Glossary: Microbiome →Glossary: Gut-brain axis →

Questions, answered

Is this a diagnosis?

No. This assessment is a structured self-reflection tool, not a validated clinical instrument. Its result bands are editorial guidance, not clinical thresholds — they organise your answers into a readable profile; they do not describe a condition. If you have concerns about your health or wellbeing, speak to a qualified professional.

How were the questions designed?

Each of the 20 items presents a concrete scenario with four graded responses and no neutral midpoint, so every answer commits to a lean. Items were authored against the peer-reviewed literature listed in the evidence file on this page, and citation metadata is supplied at build time; source relevance and claim interpretation remain editorial judgments. Response order is shuffled on every run to vary position; this implementation has not been tested for bias reduction.

What happens to my answers?

Assessment answers stay on this device. Unfinished progress expires after 30 days. A completed profile and optional comparison history remain until you delete local assessment data or clear browser data. If you opt into email, your email address is sent; item answers are not. If you share a result link, total and dimension scores are included in the URL and may appear in browser, server, CDN, or analytics logs.

How often should I retake it?

The instrument keeps your previous reading and sets the two side by side when you retake — the Second Reading. There is no validated retest interval; repeat only if a raw answer-point comparison would be useful, and do not treat it as confirmed underlying change.

Why bands instead of percentiles?

Because this assessment does not collect a population score set, there is no reader population to rank you against — and we will not invent one. The 5-dimension profile groups selected answer points for editorial display; it is not a validated structural or decision-utility model.

Where does the evidence come from?

Every dimension insight cites peer-reviewed research, and most answer reveals do — 7 sources stand behind this instrument, each with DOI metadata supplied at build time; source relevance and claim interpretation remain editorial judgments. A few reveals are straightforward editorial reasoning from the same evidence base and carry no citation by design. The full list, with DOIs, is in the evidence file below.

The evidence file

7 peer-reviewed sources stand behind this instrument's items and insights.

Gómez-Pinilla (2008) — Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1038/nrn2421 ✓ Crossref‑verified
Godos et al. (2023) — Dietary (Poly)phenols and Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202300472 ✓ Crossref‑verified
Kennedy (2016) — B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy—A Review. Nutrients. DOI: 10.3390/nu8020068 ✓ Crossref‑verified
Arshad et al. (2025) — Role of Dietary Carbohydrates in Cognitive Function: A Review. Food Science & Nutrition. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.70516 ✓ Crossref‑verified
Zandifar et al. (2025) — The Effect of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Levels of Depression, Anxiety, and Cognitive Function: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Brain and Behavior. DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70401 ✓ Crossref‑verified
Ross et al. (2024) — The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease. Nature Reviews Microbiology. DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01068-4 ✓ Crossref‑verified
Thomas et al. (2020) — Blood polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, brain atrophy, cognitive decline, and dementia risk. Alzheimer's & Dementia. DOI: 10.1002/alz.12195 ✓ Crossref‑verified

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Where Your Brain-Nutrition Habits Actually Start

Where Your Brain-Nutrition Habits Actually Start

Brain Food Self-Reflection: How Does Your Plate Match the Research?

Answers that stood out on their own

Your answers

How this instrument works