Give your mental health a boost 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 also gives your mental health a boost as we begin the new season. As previously reported by TODAY, studies link fruit and vegetable consumption to happiness levels. Eating omega-3 fats and magnesium-rich foods and limiting red meat and added sugar 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), as well as a few servings of seafood per week. We also have creative ways to cut back on meat (hello, magnesium-rich lentils!) and added sugar.

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

What to eat this week, September 30, 2024

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monday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: Green grain bowl

Dinner: Lentil Tacos with Roasted Kale

Snack of your choice

tuesday

Breakfast: Pumpkin Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt

Lunch: Open smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber slices

Dinner: Cashew chicken and asparagus and brown rice

Snack of your choice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: Green grain bowl

Dinner: 4-ingredient air-fried salmon with broccoli and brown rice

Snack of your choice

thursday

Breakfast: Pumpkin Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt

Lunch: Open smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber slices

Dinner: Baked chicken and ricotta meatballs with broccoli

Snack of your choice

friday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: Leftovers or leftovers

Dinner: Grilled corn and avocado salad with cilantro-lime shrimp skewers

Snack of your choice

Breakfast

Make mornings easier by spending five to 10 minutes getting ready the night before. When breakfast comes, you will be happy about it.

Coffee Chia Parfait by Elena Besser

Using leftover coffee, make the coffee-chia spread before you go to bed. Then assemble the rest of the parfait in the morning.

Pumpkin Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt

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

Lunch

Continuing with the mental health theme, we incorporated some clever strategies into the lunch selection. For example, smoked salmon is a convenient way to score omega-3 fats. Plus, the cereal bowl is loaded with antioxidant-rich produce and healthy fats to protect your brain and support your mood and energy levels.

Green grain bowl by Elena Besser

Here’s a filling, fiber- and protein-rich grain bowl that you can meal prep ahead of time. To do that, make the quinoa and dressing and shred your rotisserie chicken. Assemble the grain bowl and add the vegetables when ready to serve. If you’re trying to reduce your meat intake or are going plant-based, use canned and rinsed beans instead of chicken.

Open smoked salmon sandwich

Toast whole grain English muffins and spread Greek yogurt over them. Top each half with capers, red onion, cabbage, tomato slices and smoked salmon. Serve with cucumber slices.

Dinner

Dinners include lots of healthy swaps, like ground chicken and lentils instead of ground beef and whole grains instead of refined grains. But the best thing about this week’s dinner lineup is that you’ll be too fixated on the taste to think about how healthy the meals are.

Lentil Tacos by Jenné Claiborne

Eating a meatless meal at least once a week helps you increase your intake of plant-based foods, and lentils are packed 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 toe into meatless meals. This version calls for making guacamole, but if you don’t have time, you can substitute it with a store-bought variety and garnish with diced mango for a special touch. While you have the kale out, fry up some extra to serve with your tacos.

Cashew Chicken and Asparagus by Kevin Curry

Chinese food may contain 77% more sodium than recommended in a day. We’re not saying this dish is low in sodium, but making a Chinese dish at home will save you tons of salt and sugar. You also get more vegetable quality when you cook yourself as restaurants tend to serve small portions. For an even bigger veggie boost, double the red peppers and asparagus and make more sauce if needed. Serve the stir-fry with brown rice.

4-Ingredient Air Fryer Salmon by Jocelyn Delk Adams

Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fats, and this easy marinade makes it 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 substituting lower sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos—a milder, less salty option. Serve the salmon with broccoli and brown rice (frozen or microwave to save time).

Baked chicken and ricotta meatballs with broccoli by Yasmin Fahr

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

Grilled corn and avocado salad with cilantro-lime shrimp skewers by Elena Besser

Shrimp is a perfect weekly protein as it is easy to thaw in ice cold water and it helps you reach your recommended goal of eating seafood twice a week. The cilantro-lime dressing brings everything together here; it serves as a marinade for corn and shrimp and a dressing for the salad. The salad is decorated with a pleasant surprise: tortilla chips. The various textures add an interesting element to this easy meal, and many tortilla chips are made from whole grains.

Snacks

A snack that contains a whole food source of protein and fiber offers a winning formula that will keep you full for hours. Here are some ideas:

• Grape tomatoes with creamy taco dip. To make the dip, add some taco seasoning to 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