Stimulate Your Mind With Nutrition - Walnut Sunflower-Crusted Salmon With Honey-Lemon Grapes

Stimulate Your Mind

While "exercising" typically refers to running, walking or biking, remember you can give your brain a workout as well. Provide a boost for your brain with easy and enjoyable activities like reading, puzzles, math games like sudoku or artistic challenges such as drawing or crafting.

Eat Healthy Foods

Establishing a strong foundation for brain health can start in the kitchen by preparing healthy foods. Adding whole grains, fish, legumes, healthy fats and fruits and vegetables, including grapes and leafy greens, can encourage better brain wellness.

Research suggests grapes help maintain a healthy brain. UCLA researchers, in a human study of elderly subjects with mild cognitive decline, found consuming 2 1/4 cups of grapes every day preserved healthy metabolic activity in regions of the brain associated with early-stage Alzheimer's Disease.

This Walnut Sunflower-Crusted Salmon with Honey-Lemon Grapes is a flavor-packed way to add California grapes to the menu while simultaneously supporting brain and heart health. Salmon, rich in omega-3s, is topped with a crunchy walnut-sunflower seed crust for a savory, nutty bite. Pair with juicy grapes and onions marinated in honey and lemon for a burst of sweetness and tang to balance the rich salmon in this nutritious meal.

Prioritize Mental Health

Reducing anxiety may be easier said than done, but it starts with healthy everyday habits. Practice mindfulness by meditating or simply turning off distractions like Social Media. Get outside for fresh air or find a hobby you enjoy. Join a support group, reach out to loved ones and, if you feel you're experiencing negative mental health systems, talk with a mental health professional.

Exercise Regularly

Physical activities that increase your heart rate also increase blood flow to the brain and throughout your body. It doesn't have to be rigorous or strenuous - go for a walk around the neighborhood, dance in the living room, tend to your garden or enjoy a bike ride when the weather cooperates. Remember to replenish your energy and hydration - California grapes are an easy way to deliver both.

Walnut Sunflower-Crusted Salmon with Honey-Lemon Grapes

Servings: 4

Honey-Lemon Marinated Grapes:

2 Tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Basil

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

3 Cups of halved Red Grapes from California

1/2 Cup of thinly sliced Red Onion

1 Small handful of Arugula

Salmon:

3/4 Cup of Walnuts, chopped

2 Tablespoons of roasted, unsalted Sunflower Seeds

2 Teaspoons of Honey

2 Teaspoons of Spicy Brown or Dijon Mustard

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

4 Salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

Heat the oven to 350˚ F and line the baking sheet with the parchment paper or lightly oiled foil.

To make the Honey-Lemon Marinated Grapes: In a medium bowl, whisk the Oil, the Lemon Juice, the Honey, the Basil, the Salt and the Pepper, to taste. Stir in the Grapes, the Onion and the Arugula; set aside.

To prepare the Salmon: In a small bowl, stir in the Walnuts, the Sunflower Seeds, the Honey, the Mustard and the Salt until a thick paste forms.

Place the Salmon on a prepared baking sheet, skin side down, and press equal amounts of the Walnut Mixture over the surface of each one. Bake it for 20 minutes, or until the Salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Set the Salmon on plates; using a slotted spoon, spoon marinated the Grape and the Onion Mixture over the Salmon and around the plates.

Nutritional information per serving: 640 Calories; 39 g Protein; 31 g Carbohydrates; 41 g Fat (58% Calories from Fat); 7 g Saturated Fat (10% Calories from Saturated Fat); 95 mg Cholesterol; 390 mg Sodium; 3 g Fiber.

Find more information on the connection between grapes and heart health, and discover more nutritious recipes, by visiting: GrapesfromCalifornia.com.