Boost your mental health with this 7-day meal plan full of omega-3 foods

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Eating the right foods not only benefits your physical health, but improves your mental health as we begin a new season. As previously reported by TODAY, research has linked fruit and vegetable consumption to happiness levels. Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fats and magnesium and limiting red meat and added sugars have also been shown to improve mental health markers such as stress levels, mood and energy.

This week’s focus is on a nutritious, plant-based diet that includes healthy sources of fat (such as seeds, nuts, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil), and several servings of seafood per week. We also have creative ways to cut out meat (hello, magnesium-rich lentils!) and add sugar.

Whether you’re simply trying to eat healthier, or actively working on habits to improve your energy, mood, brain skills and quality of life, we know you’ll enjoy the menu we’ve put together. Selected for next week.

What to eat this week, September 30, 2024

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Monday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: A bag of green beans

Dinner: Lentil Tacos with Sauteed Kale

Bread of choice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Roast pumpkin overnight with Greek yogurt

Lunch: Open-faced smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber slices

Dinner: Cashew Chicken and Asparagus and Brown Rice

Bread of choice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: A bag of green beans

Dinner: 4- Ingredients for Air Fryer Salmon with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Bread of choice

Thursday

Breakfast: Roast pumpkin overnight with Greek yogurt

Lunch: Open-faced smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber slices

Dinner: Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs with Broccoli

Bread of choice

Friday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: Residues or takeovers

Dinner: Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Cilantro Lime Shrimp Skewers

Bread of choice

the breakfast

Make mornings easier by spending five to 10 minutes getting ready the night before. Come breakfast time, you’ll be glad you did.

Coffee Chia Parfait by Elena Besser

Using leftover coffee, make a coffee-chia topping before going to bed. Then assemble the remaining parfait in the morning.

Roast pumpkin overnight with Greek yogurt

To make, mix 1/2 cup each of flour and almond milk with 2 tablespoons of pureed pumpkin, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with Greek yogurt on top or side.

lunch

Continuing with the mental health theme, we’ve incorporated several smart strategies into our lunch options. For example, smoked salmon is an easy way to score omega-3 fats. In addition, wheatgrass is packed with antioxidant-rich products and healthy fats to protect your brain and support your mood and energy levels.

Green Cereal Bowl by Elena Besser

Here’s a filling, fiber- and protein-rich whole wheat bowl that you can prepare ahead of time. To do this, make the quinoa and dressing and shred your rotisserie chicken. Assemble the bowl of rice and add your vegetables when ready to serve. If you’re trying to cut down on meat or are particularly plant-based, use canned and washed beans instead of chicken.

Open-faced smoked salmon sandwich

Eat a whole grain English muffin and spread it with Greek yogurt. Top each half with capers, red onion, lettuce, tomato slices and smoked salmon. Serve with cucumber slices.

bread

The meal includes many healthy swaps, such as ground chicken and lentils instead of ground beef and whole grains instead of refined grains. But the best part about this week’s dinner lineup is that you’ll pay more attention to taste than to how healthy the food is.

Lentil Tacos by Jenny Claiborne

Eating a meatless meal at least once a week helps you increase your intake of plant foods, and lentils are loaded with magnesium, a nutrient involved in regulating your stress response. We chose tacos for this menu because they’re an easy way to dip your toes into meat-free food. This recipe calls for making guacamole, but if you don’t have time, you can substitute it with the store-bought variety and garnish with cubed mango for a special touch. While you have the kale out, make some extra to serve with your tacos.

Cashew Chicken and Asparagus by Kevin Curry

A Chinese takeout dish can contain up to 77% more sodium than your daily allowance. We’re not saying this bread is low in sodium, but making Chinese-style bread at home will save you tons of salt and sugar. You’ll also get a better serving of vegetables when cooking on your own because restaurants tend to serve smaller portions. To get an even bigger vegetable boost, double the red pepper and asparagus, and make more sauce if needed. Serve your appetizer with brown rice.

4- Ingredients Air Fryer Salmon by Jocelyn Delk Adams

Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fats, and this easy marinade is the perfect thing to cook when you don’t want to mess around in the kitchen. The recipe calls for soy sauce, but we recommend replacing it with low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos—a milder, less salty alternative. Serve your salmon with broccoli and brown rice (frozen or microwaveable to save time).

Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs with Broccoli by Yasmin Farah

Making meatballs with chicken instead of ground beef cuts down on saturated fat — the kind that can raise your risk of harmful LDL cholesterol. And you won’t miss the meat in this super tasty meal. Feel free to swap broccoli for broccoli, and serve your meatballs with whole grain, chicken or lentil pasta with a low-sugar pasta sauce.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Skewers by Elena Besser

Shrimp is a perfect weeknight protein because it’s easy to rinse in cold water, and it helps you meet the recommended goal of eating seafood twice a week. The cilantro lime dressing brings everything together here; It works as a marinade for corn and shrimp and as a dressing for salads. The salad is topped with a fun surprise: tortilla chips. Different textures add an element of interest to this easy meal, and many tortilla chips are made from whole grain corn.

impossible

Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are a few ideas:

• Grape tomatoes with creamy taco dip. To make the dip, add the taco seasoning to the Greek yogurt and mix.

• Red pepper strips with egg salad

• Cucumber slices and edamame

• Freeze-dried apple or strawberry chips with nuts

• ½ grapefruit with Greek yogurt

This article was originally published on TODAY.com