There are many days that your mental health might not be feeling the best. There are so much advice out there about how to deal with mental health issues and diagnoses. In reality, supporting mental health looks different for everyone. For some, going out and being outside helps. For others, staying inside and having a calmer day might be best. The cool thing is that food plays a role in the way we feel. So, we can use food as a way to Support our mental health. These tips are just to help you get started, and as you explore what you like, feel free to branch out and try your own pairings and recipes.

Also, using your freezer is a great way to meal prep for days you don’t want to cook or eat much. Check out this meal plan and these freezer-friendly treats to get you started. Also, here are a few roundups that you can use for inspiration:

• 8 Brain-Boosting Foods to Add to Your Grocery List
• 15 Plant-Based Recipes to Boost Your Mood Immediately
• 15 Mental Health Boosting Plant-Based Recipes for the Holidays

Using food to boost your mental health means avoiding certain foods — including saturated fat, refined sugars (and sugars in general!), heavily processed ingredients, and caffeine — and incorporating a slew of crucial, mood-boosting nutrients from vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.

Of course, there are certain plant-based ingredients that are more adept at battling those feelings of depression. These include serotonin-releasing complex carbs, — such as in vegetables, fruits, and high-fiber foods, omega-3 fatty acids, — such as in nuts, nut butter, dark leafy greens, and flaxseed oil — vitamin D, — found in small amounts mushrooms and fortified foods — and selenium, — found in brazil nuts, whole grains, and beans.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives! 

This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to enjoy incorporating brain-boosting foods in your diet to Support your mental health!

Recipes with Blueberries

Source: Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

Spring is a wonderful time to start incorporating blueberries into your diet. Blueberries are wonderful sources of antioxidants and can add a pop of color or flavor to your dish. Bake them into bread and desserts, or make a blueberry compote to drizzle over pancakes or waffles!

• Blueberry-Crammed Banana Oat Bread by Katia Martin
• Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes by The Classics Veganized by Doug McNish
• Nutty Blueberry Breakfast Muffins by Amy Lanza

Recipes with Walnuts

Source: Maple Chipotle Candied Walnuts

You can use walnuts as a topping to get their benefits, or you can bake them into a dish. Walnuts are a wonderful way to add texture to the topping of. a dish or dessert. Plus, you can use simple flavors to flavor them and eat them as a snack.

• Maple Caramelized Walnuts by Stephanie McKinnie
• Maple Chipotle Candied Walnuts by Rouxbe
• Kale Salad With Farro, Golden Raisins and Walnuts by Crissy Cavanaugh
• Butterscotch Pudding With Candied Walnuts by Fabio Gallo

Recipes using Delicious Greens and Leafy Green

Source: Kale Falafel Salad Bowl

These recipes with leafy greens might sound daunting to try, but they all include a variety of flavors and textures to make eating greens more exciting. If you already have a way you enjoy your greens, you can use these as inspiration! Leafy greens include so many options besides the ones listed, including cabbage, collard green, mustard greens and lettuces.

Greens in general include everything from green beans to broccoli to cucumbers. Including a variety of vegetables in your diet is a wonderful way to boost your mood and your taste buds.

• Sauerkraut Salad With Apples and Walnuts by Bianca the Green Creator
• Kale Falafel Salad Bowl by Stephanie McKinnie
• Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad by Maria Koutsogiannis
• Mediterranean Lentil Salad by Allie Penner

Recipes that combine Beets and Dark Chocolate

Source: Roasted Beet Chocolate Cupcakes

Combining beets and chocolate is a wonderful way to boost your mood and get in integral micronutrients and minerals. These wonderful desserts sneak in a serving of veggies and use beets to create a delicious dessert!

• Beet and Chocolate Mousse Cake by Krisztina Berta
• Roasted Beet Chocolate Cupcakes by Quelcy Kogel
• White Chocolate Red Velvet Cake Pops by Gabrielle St. Claire

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!

Lead Image: Nutty Blueberry Breakfast Muffins by Amy Lanza