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Mood-Boosting Salad

Updated: Feb 22, 2020

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.


salmon, olives, couscous salad in a bowl


You'll Need:

100g salmon fillet*

1 cup baby spinach, rinsed and dried

¼ cup quinoa or wholemeal couscous

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup cucumber, halved slices

¼ cup red capsicum, deseeded and sliced

¼ avocado, diced

½ small red onion, finely diced

¼ cup pitted kalamata olives

½ cup chickpeas or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons mixed nuts and seeds (walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower, pumpkin or flaxseeds)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

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


Arrange salmon on a baking tray and season with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes at 200°C, until cooked.


While the salmon is cooking, start to assemble the salad. Place quinoa or couscous in a bowl, then top with spinach. Arrange the other vegetables over the top, followed by olives and beans, then top with salmon (shred or break this into pieces if you wish).


For the dressing: mix together olive oil, 1 tablespoon 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 salmon fillets for a canned variety in spring water (you won’t need to cook this though!), or for 2 boiled or poached eggs.


Serves 1

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