A Simple Dinner that Your Brain Will Love

 Finding the time to prep and eat healthy meals that nourished your body and brain can seem daunting but with a little preparation and planning you can create meals in no time that taste good and are good for you. This is especially important for dinner when evening activities can make you crunched for time.  There are two key strategies that you can implement to help make healthier meals faster.

Pre-Cook Protein - The protein portions of a meals usually takes the longest time to cook. By pre-cooking proteins you will be able to accelerate the ease in which you can make healthy meals. Batch cook multiple portions of protein like salmon, beef, and chicken to save you time and make constructing healthy meals simple.

Buy Cut/Prepped Vegetables - When time is at a premium, getting vegetables that are  prepped and ready to cook can be a game changer. Many supermarkets are now offering prepped and cut vegetables that are ready for you to use right away.

Here's a simple 3 component meal that is loaded with nutrients and fast to make! 

Sous Vide Salmon with Brussel Sprouts and Tomatoes

1-2 Sous vide salmon filets

My goto way to prepare salmon for the week is sous vide. Lightly season the salmon filets with salt and pepper. I will prepare 5-6 fillets at the beginning of the week - cool and store in the vacuum sealed bags that they were cooked in. When it is time to eat, remove the salmon filet from the vacuum sealed bag and warm up on a grill or fry pan over medium heat. This dish also works well when the salmon is served the salmon cold.

Why Salmon? Salmon is a great source of protein that is also rich in the brain boosting omega-3 fat DHA. DHA has been linked to improvements in executive brain function and various markers of cognitive health. Other research suggests that when you get your omega-3 fats from seafood it is taken up more efficiently by your body than omega-3 fats from supplements.

1-1.5 cup Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Buy preshredded (easy and fast) or shred on a mandolin. Shredding the Brussels sprouts allow for them to cook up significantly faster. Sauté in a non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil until soft.

Why Brussels Sprouts? Brussels sprouts are a high fiber, antioxidant packed vegetable that also delivers almost 200% of your daily needs for vitamin K. Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that plays a key role in blood, bone, and heart health. Brussels sprouts are a member of the Brassica family of vegetables (as are cabbage, kale, and collards) which contain antioxidants that can help power the detoxification pathways in the body - helping your body function at its best.

1 Medium Fresh Diced Tomato

Dice and lightly season with salt. This cool fresh flavor that a tomato brings is the perfect compliment to the sautéed Brussels sprouts. 

Why Tomatoes? Tomatoes contain a series of antioxidants called carotenoids like beta-carotene and lycopene. These antioxidants can help support eye health and have been implicated in reduction of risk of various cancers respectively.

1 Cup Neuro Coffee

Iced or hot. A cup of decaf Neuro Coffee is the perfect compliment to this dinner's brain boosting effects. The antioxidants and nutrients found in this dish help support brain function while warding off free radicals. Neuro Coffee takes it to the next level by providing a boost in BDNF. BDNF acts in the body by supporting your body's ability to grow and repair neurons.

Many of the foods that you found normally eat as part of a healthy diet are brain boosting superfoods. The hard part is not finding these foods to get into your diet by finding ways to do so consistently. You can use this meal as a template to make healthy meals in no time.