Mood-Boosting Salad

Packed with colourful veggies for fibre, this salad will help keep your gut microbes happy!

Salmon, olives, avocado, nuts and seeds provide healthy fats (including omega-3s!), which promote healthy brain function and may help improve mood and mental health.

You'll Need:

100g salmon fillet*

1 cup salad greens, rinsed and dried

½ cup cooked quinoa, bulgur or wholemeal couscous

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup cucumber, in chunks

½ medium avocado, in cubes

½ small red onion, finely sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Optional: sesame seeds, or other chopped nuts or seeds

Method:

Prepare quinoa, bulgur or couscous as per packet directions, drain and leave to cool.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes at 200°C, or fry in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until cooked.

While the salmon is cooking, start to assemble the salad. Place greens in a bowl, then top with quinoa. Arrange the other vegetables over the top, then top with salmon.

For the dressing: mix together olive oil, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper, then drizzle over the salad. Finish by sprinkling over the nuts and seeds (chop up any larger nuts first).

* You could also swap the salmon fillet for a canned variety in spring water (you won’t need to cook this though!), or for boiled or poached eggs.

Serves 1