Mood-boosting foods: walnuts & nutritional yeast + vegan pesto recipe!

I’m back with more foods to boost your mood! We all know what it’s like turning to food when we’re feeling down, anxious, or stressed (plenty of that going around). And while eating greasy, salty, or sweet food feels oh-so good in the moment, they have damaging effects, including inflammation, dysregulated blood sugar, headaches, and weight gain. The foods I’m highlighting this week infuse your body with nutrients, allowing the brain to produce neurotransmitters that give you a natural high. 

My favorite Pesto with Pinenut Parm recipe is below, which uses both of these delicious foods. A two for one!

If you didn’t catch my post on the wonders of maca (with a delicious maca-turmeric tea latte recipe) check it out.

Walnuts

Eating walnuts can help improve your mood — they contain one of the highest amounts of Omega-3 fats of any nut. This is important because Omega-3s support optimal brain function on a number of levels, helping neurotransmitter function (like serotonin and dopamine, the feel good hormones). They're also known to support heart health and fight heart disease by lowering triglyceride levels and reducing dangerous plaque formation in the arteries.

Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Nutritional yeast is the kind of yeast that doesn't feed pathogenic bacteria, as it's a deactivated yeast and usually a strain of scaaharomyces cerevisiae. It's packed with B vitamins, fiber, and is great for vegans who may be lacking in B12. B Vitamins are known as the “energy vitamin” and research shows that supplementation can benefit stress. 

Nutritional yeast has a cheesy, nutty flavor, so you can add it to pizzas, soups, mashes, omelettes, and casseroles — anything to which you’d add cheese!

This recipe may be my boys’ favorite food. We have yet to have leftovers, and they never fail to tell me “Mom, you could make that every week.” These days we add it to GF protein pastas — chickpea or lentil — to make a balanced fat, fiber, and protein meal.

Note: You will be happy just eating the pesto sauce on its own, but the pinenut parm takes it to a whole new level!

Pesto with Pinenut Parm (dairy free)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves tightly packed

• 1 cup walnuts or pine nuts, (the walnuts have all the great Omega's--brain food!)

• 1⁄2 cup olive oil

• 1-2 cloves garlic pealed and minced (I usually put two cloves)

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed

• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

  Pine Nut Parm (this is a great substitute for dairy and uses mood boosting nutritional yeast!)

  Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 c pine nuts (pine nuts are believed to be an appetite suppressant)

• 1⁄4 c nutritional yeast

• 1⁄2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a processor fitted with an s-blade. Pulse 10–15 times until desired consistency, scraping down sides to incorporate all the flavors. Place in bowl and set aside. Pesto can be prepared ahead of time and stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Note: I usually just throw all the ingredients in my Vita-mix (it's a blender) and make it that way!

For parm: Place all ingredients in a processor fitted with s-blade. Pulse 10-12 times until flaky consistency is reached. Store excess parm in an airtight container for later use (this lasts a while in the fridge).