This spring roll salad is crisp, light, and packed with flavor. It’s the perfect salad to pair with a Thai-inspired dinner or add a protein of choice for a low-carb lunch. This nutrient-dense salad is also packed with brain-boosting nutrients and contains 10 grams of plant-based protein.

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I may be a dietitian, but I also have seasons of poor diet. I am human after all. These past few months, I have let in a lot more junk food than I’d like to admit. And while I don’t feel guilty about it (I believe in a healthy relationship with food), I am aware of how my diet makes me feel. Lately, I have been feeling sluggish, inflamed in my joints, and generally low mood.

You may be wondering why I am telling you this. Well, one of my goals for 2024 is to eat for mental health. Not changing my diet for the sake of changing my body – but changing my diet for the sake of feeling better mentally and physically. In today’s blog, we are going to be diving into what it means to eat for your mental health, what nutrients help improve mood, and how this recipe is in alignment with that goal!

In this recipe, I use my salt-free Thai spice blend from my spice company – The Spice Girl Kitchen. I’m completely biased because it is, after all, my spice recipe and the best Thai seasoning on the market. But feel free to use whatever Thai seasoning you have on hand.

My Thai seasoning is unlike anything on the market because it contains peanut butter powder. It smells like Thai Peanut Sauce in a seasoning, what’s not to love about that?!

This post is all about Spring Roll Salad!

Eating For Mental Health

There is a complex relationship between inflammation and brain function. You may have heard about how your microbiome (gut bacteria) influences mood and many other areas of health. There have been many studies that explore how changing our diets and increasing specific brain nutrients can help improve mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

While other things can influence anxiety levels (such as time spent on social media), it doesn’t hurt to take a good hard look at your diet. The best part about eating for brain health/mental health is that these foods are healthy for you in general. This is not some fad diet, this is just intentionally increasing certain foods that contain certain nutrients with the motivation of improving mental health. The side effect of this approach is generally increased dietary nutrient density and taking better care of your body as a whole.

I would love to dive into this topic more in other blogs. Who knows – maybe one day I will write a mental health cookbook. But for now, it’s my goal to work on incorporating more of these brain-boosting nutrients into my everyday diet and explore new recipes to help me do that. Will you be on this journey with me? Message me if you want to commit to a new way of taking care of yourself this year!

What are the most important nutrients for brain health?

Potassium
Omega-3
Vitamin B12
Vitamin A
Thiamine
Vitamin C
Iron
Zinc
Folate
Vitamin B6
Magnesium
Selenium

Nutrient Profile In This Recipe

Before diving into the mental health nutrients, let’s cover the basics. Per serving, this recipe contains:

335 calories
25 grams of fat
19 grams of carbs
4.3 grams of fiber
10.4 grams of protein

Now, how does this recipe fit into our mental health theme?

Cabbage is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and folate. Bell peppers are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Folate, and Potassium and contain some iron. Cucumber contains some Vitamin C and Potassium. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A and contain some Vitamin C and potassium, while lime juice is high in Vitamin C. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that’s been linked to reduced inflammation.

Equipment Deep Dive

This recipe couldn’t be easier. It requires no actual cooking – just blending in a food processor. Here’s everything you need to make this recipe:

Food Processor

I recommend this food processor because it has a large capacity for multiple recipes.

Rubber Spatula

A rubber spatula is helpful when scraping down the sides of the food processor in this recipe.

Cutting Board

A cutting board is necessary if you are cutting veggies into matchsticks for serving.

Grater

I used this grater to grate my garlic, but if you don’t have a grater, you can mince the garlic instead.

Storage Information

Store this salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. No reheating required. Freezing not recommended.