Healthy Uplifting Recipes

What you do (and don’t) put into your body each day makes a big difference in how you feel and how much effort you can put into your recovery. The right mix of foods can help stabilize your mood, keep energy levels high and provide the right vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and strong in your recovery.

We scoured the Internet to find some healthy uplifting recipes to add to your recovery diet this season. Give them a try!

Stress-Busting Green Smoothie from MindBodyGreen.com
This simple recipe can work for breakfast or a snack and packs in mood-boosting spinach and sunflower seeds – they are both rich in B vitamins, which are key players in the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. What’s more, the recipe includes omega-3 rich chia seeds (often called “food for your brain.”) And last, but not least, a bit of the superfood cacao contains magnesium, which is known for its calming effects. Just mix it all in a blender and sip that stress away.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/2 - 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon cacao
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
• 1/2 cup water

Energy-Boosting Quinoa Power Salad from EatingWell.com
The stars of this recipe are sweet potatoes and quinoa – two superfoods that will keep you full and energized during the day. Plus, there’s lots of vitamin-packed greens (spinach, kale or arugula) as well as mood-boosting sunflower seeds. Make a big batch and eat it all week!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick wedges
• ½ red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
• 8 ounces chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 4 cups baby greens, such as spinach, kale and/or arugula, washed and dried
• ½ cup cooked red quinoa, cooled
• 1 tablespoon unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted

Mood-Boosting Ginger Turkey Stir-Fry from EverydayHealth.com
It can be difficult to stay upbeat and energetic, especially since we’re dealing with a double-whammy: seasonal depression and holiday blues. Lean turkey is a great source of healthy protein that promotes relaxation and can help you better manage stress. This is because it’s high in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that relaxes your body. This quick dinner recipe also contains colorful veggies and the super spice ginger, known to help ease anxiety, stress and feelings of tiredness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice, brown
• 2 tablespoon oil, olive
• 1 pounds turkey, breast boneless, skinless
• 1 head(s) cabbage, napa (Chinese) shredded, about 4 cups
• 4 stalk(s) onion(s), green tops and bulbs, chopped
• 2 cup(s) mushrooms, fresh sliced
• 2 cup(s) pea pods, fresh or frozen
• 4 clove(s) garlic finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon pepper, black ground
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce, less sodium
• 2 tablespoon oil, sesame
• 4 teaspoon sesame seeds

Snooze-Boosting Sweets from WomensHealth.com
We all know that sleep rules when it comes to regulating your mood and energy and keeping you focused on your recovery tasks. Well, apparently, you can have dessert and sleep, too! Just skip any sweets after dinner and try one of these recipes chock-full of snooze-inducing ingredients about 30 minutes prior to bed.

• 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 cup sliced strawberries 
• 1 slice of bread + 1 tablespoon hazelnut chocolate spread 
• 1 small pear + 1 tablespoon almond butter 
• 1 small banana + 1 tablespoon jam 
• 1 whole wheat waffle + 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves

Let Us Fuel Your Recovery
Rising Roads offers weekly nutrition classes, in addition to shopping preparation and cooking classes. The camaraderie of cooking together, gaining new skills, learning new recipes and enjoying the process is a positive move forward. To learn more, call today: 866-746-1558.