Food For Thought

There are several foods that can help you improve your ability to concentrate, improve your productivity and reduce stress.

• Banana and Peanut Butter
  Research shows that if students eat a banana before an exam they preform better than if they don’t. It contains substances that are important for your alertness, motivation and concentration. A banana contains the right amount of glucose that your body needs for a day. This will ensure that you get more energy and focus. Banana is also delicious in combination with peanut butter, which also improves your performance.
• Nuts
  Eating nuts improves your brain performance. When we are stressed, we need magnesium. Nuts contain a lot of magnesium, natural fat and a lot of protein. This all contributes to maintaining a good health. Eating nuts can increase your productivity. Nuts are also delicious in yoghurt in combination with berries. By eating berries you can improve your productivity and improve your memory.
• Dark Chocolate
  Dark chocolate contains several ingredients that helps your brain stimulate. It contains caffeine and magnesium which gives you more concentration, makes you feel more energetic and reduces feelings of stress. In addition, dark chocolate contains substances that ensure a good blood circulation, which improves your concentration and makes your mood goes up.
• Fish, Avocado, Wholemeal Sandwich and Egg
  Oily fish helps with concentration and keeps us alert. You can combine e.g. salmon with a wholemeal sandwich, avocado and a egg
  which makes your meal packed with iron, choline and zinc. These ingredients also help with your concentration and simulate memory.

Food for thought recipes

1. Sandwich with salmon, avocado and egg
Ingredients (2 sandwiches):
– 4 slices of wholemeal bread;
– 50 grams of smoked salmon;
– 1 egg;
– ½ avocado;
– Juice of ½ lemon;
– Alfalfa or garden cress;
– Capers;
-Oil;
– Pepper and salt.

How to make it:
Preheat the oven 180 degrees. Brush the 4 slices of bread with some oil and toast the bread in an oven. Bake the slices of bread for 5 minutes until crispy.
Put the egg with some water in a pan and bring the water to the boil, cook for about 4 minutes.
Cut the avocado from the skin and mash it into a smooth puree. Add the juice of ½ lemon and season with salt and pepper.
Spread a layer of avocado over the sandwich and top the sandwiches with the slices of salmon. Peel the egg and cut into slices, place on top of the salmon.
Put some alfalfa or garden cress on top and sprinkle some capers over the sandwich with avocado and salmon.

2. Smoothie bowl
Ingredients (2 persons):
– 150 grams of blueberries;
– 1 handful of blueberries (to garnish);
– 1 tablespoon granola/muesli;
– 1 tablespoon unsalted nuts (coarsely chopped);
– 1 handful of dark chocolate (coarsely chopped);
– 2 teaspoons coconut grater.
– 300 milliliters of yogurt;
– 1 banana (sliced, to garnish);
– 1 banana (frozen);
– 300 milliliters of yogurt;

How to make it:
Grind the frozen banana with the frozen blueberries and yogurt into a creamy smoothie in a blender. Add a splash of water if necessary, but make sure that it does not become too liquid.
Divide the mixture between 2 bowls.
Garnish with extra banana slices, extra blueberries, granola or muesli, coarsely chopped mixed nuts, dark chocolate and grated coconut.

3. Rice cake with chocolate and peanut butter
Ingredients (12 pieces):
– 1 tbsp peanut butter + extra for topping;
– 35 gr rice cakes (approximately 5 pieces);
– 20 gr dark chocolate;
– 50 gr dried cranberries.

How to make it:
Crumble the rice cakes into small pieces.
Melt the chocolate au bain marie and add the peanut butter when the chocolate has melted. Add the cranberries and mix well.
Divide the chocolate over the rice wafer pieces and stir well with a spoon so that all the pieces of rice wafer are covered with the chocolate.
Take a flat dish, put a piece of baking paper in it and divide your mixture in it. Press well.
Let it harden in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Cut into pieces and possibly sprinkle some peanut butter over the cubes.