Feel good from the inside out with Mrs Crunch’s top mood-boosting foods

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 […]

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.

Getty Images - Getty

January in a pandemic calls for tasty, mood-boosting food[/caption]

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.

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:

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles as instructed on the packet.
2. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool them down. Leave to drain while you prepare the dressing.
3. In a bowl mix together the grated apple, spring onions, wholegrain mustard, soy, lemon juice and half the oil.
4. Toss the dressing with the cold noodles, radish and cucumber.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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:

1. Heat your oil in a heavy- bottom saucepan. Add your turkey and fry until slightly browned.
2. Once browned, add your curry paste and cook for a further four minutes.
3. Then add your onions and diced sweet potato.
4. Add the remainder of your ingredients and bring to the boil. Once boiling, return to a simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Serve with wild rice, steamed vegetables or naan bread.
6. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure rice is piping hot when reheating.

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