IF you need a boost, you are in good company.
January in a pandemic calls for food that makes us feel good from the inside out.
Fish, meat and a rainbow of fruit and veg are the real mood-boosters, not cake or chocs.
So try these swaps and wake up to a sunnier outlook with the help of some great recipes from morrisons.com.
Top of the swaps
Swap fish and chips for fish with sweet potato fries: Fish such as cod, salmon and tuna are loaded with goodness. salmon fillets, 220g, for £4 or three for £10. Or buy two line-caught cod fillets from Asda for £3, saving 19p.
Sweet potatoes contain vitamin B6 and magnesium, both great for flicking the switch on your mood.
Swap sugary cereals for porridge: Oats are packed with mood-boosting selenium. They also slowly release energy into the bloodstream, which keeps blood sugar and mood stable.
Morrisons has reduced a kilo of porridge oats from £1.20 to 79p, saving 41p.
Swap pasta for lentils: Lentils are a superfood for mood control. Try them in a curry, alongside a pasta sauce or in a salad. Tesco’s microwave Mexican style lentils, £1, will be an instant hit.
Swap complicated dishes for simple steaks: Forget creamy sauces and heavy meals. Instead, serve up a simple steak with stir-fried veg or salad.
An occasional dish of red meat can be good for the mood, as well as a little luxury at a time when we need a treat. Morrisons has sirloin, rump, bavette or Denver steaks for £3.50, or buy two for £6, (200-350g).
Swap takeaways for turkey: Now Christmas is a distant memory, you can give mood-balancing turkey another try. Tesco 500g turkey thigh mince, £2.70, works a treat for burgers or Bolognese, giving you a big protein boost at the same time.
Swap sweets for dark chocolate: If you want to indulge, go for a square or two of dark chocolate, which causes the brain to release endorphins and boost happiness levels.
Asda has a Lindt Excellence 85 per cent cocoa dark chocolate bar for £1.99, or buy two for £3.
Swap crisps for a handful of nuts: Brazil nuts, in particular, are packed with mineral selenium. Studies link low levels of it with increased rates of the blues.
Just three nuts a day will give you enough. Morrisons Brazil nuts, 200g, are £2.50, or enjoy alongside other nuts in a two-for-£4 deal.
Swap toasted cheese sandwich for egg on wholemeal toast: Inside that fragile shell, eggs are a superfood. Serve them poached, boiled or scrambled on top of wholemeal bread for a mood-boosting lunch.
Asda has cut the price of six large free-range eggs from £1.10 to 89p, saving 21p.
Market Street tip
Cooking tuna?
Let the fish rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Colour you happy
GET a lift simply by looking at a breakfast bowl of colourful fruit.
Get two for £3 on Morrisons’ ready prepped fruit packs including watermelon, pineapple and mango, £2 each.
Swap butter for avocado. For a snack packed with goodness, spread your toast with smashed avo rather than a lump of butter.
Tesco is doing four ripen-at-home Hass avocados for just £1.
Seared tuna with noodle salad
Serves four
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
YOU NEED:
- 250g wholewheat noodles
- 1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely grated
- 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (we suggest using the reduced-salt variety)
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g radishes, sliced
- ½ cucumber, deseeded and sliced thinly
- 4 tuna steaks
METHOD:
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles as instructed on the packet.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to cool them down. Leave to drain while you prepare the dressing.
- In a bowl mix together the grated apple, spring onions, wholegrain mustard, soy, lemon juice and half the oil.
- Toss the dressing with the cold noodles, radish and cucumber.
- Heat a griddle pan until hot. Then rub the tuna steaks with the remaining oil and griddle for about three minutes on each side – depending on the thickness and how cooked through you like it.
- Divide the noodle mix between four plates and top each with a piece of tuna. Spoon any dressing left in the noodle bowl over the top.
- Best served warm.
Goan curry with diced turkey thigh
Serves four
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
YOU NEED:
- 30g sunflower oil
- 250g diced turkey thigh
- 50g laksa paste
- 1 small white onion , sliced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 tsp tamarind sauce
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tin full fat coconut milk
METHOD:
- Heat your oil in a heavy- bottom saucepan. Add your turkey and fry until slightly browned.
- Once browned, add your curry paste and cook for a further four minutes.
- Then add your onions and diced sweet potato.
- Add the remainder of your ingredients and bring to the boil. Once boiling, return to a simmer for 25 minutes.
- Serve with wild rice, steamed vegetables or naan bread.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure rice is piping hot when reheating.
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