Mental Health Boosting Meal with Varun

There are a lot of things that contribute to good mental health such as lifestyle, exercise and things that can help control stress levels, like meditation.

Hormones are a big part of mental health, so I have included a lot of ingredients in this recipe to help with cortisol levels (stress hormone), dopamine levels (feel good hormone), and endorphins.

I will take you through the recipe step by step. I am doing a quinoa and lentil tabbouleh with a yoghurt and tahini dressing, and I am going to top that with some breaded turkey.

Ingredients

Tabbouleh

• Quinoa
• Red lentils
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Red onion
• Mint
• Parsley
• Coriander
• Bell pepper

Dressing

• Natural yoghurt
• Stem ginger
• Tahini
• Olive Oil
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Turkey

• 2 Turkey escalopes
• Panko Bread crumbs
• Cajun seasoning
• Eggs (whisked)
• Flour

The Turkey

First, we are going to bread the turkey and, whilst that is in the oven, we will move on to the dressing and the tabbouleh.

Why did I choose turkey? Dopamine is a hormone that is responsible for making us feel good. Turkey, eggs, and legumes are three important ingredients that help increase dopamine levels and fight stress. In this recipe we are using all three of these ingredients.

• Step 1

Place the turkey escalope into a dish of flour and Cajun seasoning.

• Step 2

Transfer the turkey into a bowl of egg wash, ensure the turkey is evenly covered.

• Step 3

Then into another dish of breadcrumbs (can use a gluten-free alternative) and Cajun seasoning. Repeat with the second turkey escalope.

• Step 4

Place the turkey escalopes into a preheated oven (180 degrees) for 15 -18 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

The dressing

So, we’ve taken care of the dopamine with the turkey. Now we are going to focus on endorphins.

Endorphins tend to be released through physical activity; however, aromatherapy can help with the release of endorphins. You can include aromatherapy in your food through certain fragrances such as citrus, ginger and mint.

We are also going to be adding yoghurt and healthy fats (olive oil and tahini) into the dressing. Both probiotics and healthy fats are great for balancing cortisol levels.

• Step 1

Zest one lemon into a mixing bowl. It is best to use a microplane grater because it doesn’t take off the white bitter bits. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the mixing bowl. Add a generous splash of olive oil.

• Step 2

Add natural yoghurt and one piece of stem ginger, diced. You can add some of the juice from the jar of stem ginger for added sweetness.

• Step 3

Add a teaspoon of tahini, along with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

• Step 4

Whisk it all together.

The Tabbouleh

Now we are going to tackle cortisol. Ingredients that are great for balancing cortisol are probiotics, wholegrains, legumes, healthy fats and fruit and vegetables.

• Step 1

Add cooked quinoa and red lentils into a bowl. This is the base of the tabbouleh.

• Step 2

Add chopped mint, parsley and coriander. These are added endorphin releasing aromas.

• Step 4

The fruit and vegetables. Add one diced avocado, bell pepper, red onion and tomato.

• Step 5

Add the dressing to the tabbouleh ingredients and mix well.