Look, when it’s 90, 95 degrees outside, most of us aren’t looking for a complicated recipe or a lot of time in the hot kitchen. That’s why we need something that’s easy, that’s quick to assemble, and that’s delicious. Why? Because your brain doesn’t get the summer off. You’re always processing emotions, laying down memories, learning new things. You’re having to work on your connections. And that’s why your brain always needs proper nourishment. And we know on this modern diet of ultra-processed food, you’re not getting it.
Last week we talked about one of my summer favorites, which is a Mediterranean-inspired brain food bowl. And we have a basic formula that I want you to think about and we’re going to use again today. Let’s just review that really quickly. Number one, we want to start with a bowl that’s got some great protein. Number two, we’re looking to add those rainbows, thinking about colorful, crunchy vegetables. Number three, we want to make sure there’s healthy fats in there. And we’re big fans of those long-chained omega-3 fats, but also things like olive oil. And then finally we want to make sure there’s lots of fiber, add in a little extra fiber. Maybe that’s with some beans, nuts, or other legumes like lentils. That’s the basic formula for a really quick, easy to assemble brain food bowl. Let’s get into a new version of it today.
Once you start thinking in these templates and formulas, healthy eating and eating for mental health becomes so much more approachable. You’re assembling some of the best foods for mental health and delicious combinations, it becomes intuitive and easy and really inexpensive. Let’s build the plate.
Start with smoked salmon. Fatty fish like smoked salmon are one of the healthiest foods for our brain health and our mental health. The omega-3 fats have been very popular and of great interest to anybody interested in brain health, but there’s been a lot of focus on fish oil pills and in Nutritional Psychiatry and on my channel, I really like to focus on fish.
How do you eat more seafood and more fish in your diet to get the natural sources of EPA and DHA? These are the two of the longest fats that we consume. They’re really delicate, and it’s very important to get them in the sources that. They’re easy, they’re economical, and you can use them in a bunch of different ways. These omega-3 fats become part of our brain cells. DHA, the longest omega-3 fat, makes up about 7% of the dry weight of your brain. Research has consistently linked higher seafood content with better outcomes, better cognitive health, better outcomes in terms of depression, better pregnancy outcomes, an improvement in our cardiovascular health. So learning how to eat more seafood, not being scared of seafood, and figuring out really easy, convenient sources like smoked salmon is absolutely essential. It’s one of those basic rules of Nutritional Psychiatry. And one of the reasons I love the smoked salmon plate. And also remember, there’s a lot more than just lox out there these days. There’s all kinds of big chunks of smoked salmon with lots of cracked pepper on it and other flavors. All to say, make sure head to your grocery store, go to the refrigerated section where you’ll see all types of different smoked fish, find out what’s available to you and figure out which one’s your favorite. Check out this easy, convenient source of lots of protein and lots of great omega-3 fats.
Next up is whole grain toast. What, what? Did I say toast? Yeah, I said toast. Whole grain toast. Maybe sourdough. Lots of seeds, maybe some nuts in there, a local baker if you can find it. Why? Because whole grains don’t spike your blood sugar as much. Things like sourdough are really great in terms of a pre-digested bread that’s a fermented food. And things like toast are great brain food delivery devices. Think about what we’re going to load onto this toast. And at the end of this, you tell me, is this a brain food plate or not? Remember, we’re looking for fiber from whole grains to help feed the microbiome. They add fiber to this dish, but also you’re getting a lot of interesting antioxidants from the wheat germ and from the plant. So don’t discount toast. We don’t want it to be a major focus of your diet, but it can be used in all kinds of ways to deliver more brain food to your plate.
Let’s add some avocado. This is one of my favorite brain foods and everybody else’s too. So let’s get into some of the details. Why should you eat avocados for your mental health and brain health? Well, number one, you’re going to get this amazing monounsaturated fat, oleic acid, the same fat that’s in olive oil. Number two, boy, potassium. Now check out my other video on potassium. It’s one of those nutrients you’re probably just missing because 99% of Americans don’t get enough potassium in their diet. You can’t name another source besides a banana, can you? So avocados are a great source.
And then fiber. Avocados are packed with fiber. I love this add because we’re not doing anything to spike blood sugar. We’re getting fiber and potassium and we’re adding in more healthy fats. This is a very keto-friendly vegetable. So add in some avocado anytime you can for brain health.
Next up, we want to add in those colorful vegetables, those rainbows or “brainbows” as we call them, because with those different colors, we’re getting different antioxidants, we’re getting lots of vitamin C. For a plate like this, I’d want to add in maybe a radish for a little crunch. Some cucumbers go great with this dish, thinly sliced, maybe some cherry tomatoes would be wonderful. And I always love a little bit of thinly sliced red onion anytime I’ve got some smoked salmon and avocado on the plate. Then, sleeper Nutritional Psychiatry vegetable alert. You haven’t thought of this one before. Capers. They’re like a little mini olive. They’re packed with all kinds of amazing plant-based antioxidants, just a nutritional powerhouse. That’s why you generally will see some capers in these smoked salmon plates. Make sure and get some. Maybe it’s something you haven’t bought in the grocery store in a while. Capers, absolute sleeper Nutritional Psychiatry vegetable.
And why so many plants? Because every plant provides a unique set of phytochemicals, different types of fiber for the microbiome that keeps our gut really healthy, but also our microbiome diverse. This is why we want this diversity of plants in your diet when you’re eating for brain health.
All right, what I love looking at this plate and thinking about it is that every ingredient serves a purpose. With the smoked salmon, we get our omega-3 fats, we get our protein. When we add in all those colorful vegetables, we’re getting all these antioxidants, we’re getting vitamin C, we’re getting fiber. The avocado is that great, great trinity of amazing fat, oleic acid, great source of potassium, a rare nutrient we need lots of, and then lots of fiber, which every American needs more of. And the whole grain toast provides both toast yumminess, but also all the fiber and wonder that you get from whole grains, which are great for your microbiome. So don’t forget to get a really high quality toast.
And then finally we’re going to finish this off with some fresh herbs, adding in even more antioxidants, even more amazing flavor, and absolutely no calories is one of the great things about herbs.
When you put all of these pieces together, we’re building a meal that’s not only delicious and satisfying, but we’re following the most recent evidence that correlates what we eat with the state of our mental health and our brain health, and we’re eating in the dietary pattern that best support mental health and brain health.
One of the things that I love about summer is how it reminds us to simplify. Meals become simpler. Our time outside in nature is simple. Our time with family and our connections is just simple, wonderful, and relaxing. And that’s why we don’t want to make nutrition too complicated. And where Nutritional Psychiatry gives us a few rules and some ideas, like this brain food formula, this notion that we can just take a few simple, easy ingredients and without heat, put something on our plate that’s amazing for our mental health. It’s delicious, it’s satisfying, and we know we’re getting all those nutrients we need to support brain health and support mental health.
All to say, this summer, instead of asking what do I cook in this hot kitchen, I want you to ask, how do I build a meal that helps my brain feel its best? I hope this helps you build your mental health. Thanks so much for watching. Please share, save, subscribe, and most importantly, I’d love to see what you make. Please tag your smoked salmon plate. Post it on Instagram or Facebook. Tag us. It would be great to see that this makes an impact and helps you get the brain nutrients that you need this summer.
