Each time I prepare a plate of food I see it as an amazing opportunity to build layers of functional ingredients that work to keep me at my optimal healthy best.
My plate, seen here, is filled half full with a raw kale and chia seed salad, dressed with cold pressed organic olive oil and lemon juice, to the left is baked dijon salmon atop roasted garlic millet. This was my dinner the evening before a long flight. I wanted to be sure that I had immunity boosting foods on my plate (kale, lemon for vitamin C and roasted garlic), and mood boosting and anxiety reducing foods (because I don’t love to fly).
My mood boosters are found in the omega 3 rich salmon and chia seeds, and the millet is functioning as a hydrating food to help combat the typical flight dehydration. Everything was delicious and fresh and set me up to have a successful trip the next day.
– Abra Pappa, certified nutrition expert, healthy food educator, and owner of NutritiousAmerica.com.
March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape,” focusing on MyPlate. We invited nutrition and fitness professionals to share their typical plate to give you a glimpse of how some of the healthiest people in the country eat on a daily basis. See the series.