Healthy Heart Salmon Salad

This ‘DNA delicious’  recipe is great for a hearty (excuse the pun!) lunch or a quick and light weeknight dinner. It is also very well rounded and nutrient dense!

First and foremost your genetic insights… 

Folate

The brown lentils are a good source of folate which is important for cell development and growth. Folate has also been shown to decrease risk of heart disease. However, if you have the CT or TT variant of the MTHFR gene, your body may not be able to absorb folate as well as others. The lentils in this recipe provide about 180 mcg of folate. If you have the CT or TT variant you should aim for 400 mcg of folate per day. 

Polyunsaturated fats 

Salmon is a great source of polyunsaturated fats, which are healthy fats that have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease. Salmon contains both omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fats. If you have the CC of CT variant of the FADS1, you may be at risk of lower amounts of “good” cholesterol in your body if you consume too much omega 6 fats compared to omega 3 fats, therefore the balance between those two types of fats is key. 

Monounsaturated fats 

Olive oil provides the body with monounsaturated fats, which help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the body and this can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Other sources of monounsaturated fats are almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts and canola oil. 

Heart Healthy Quick Salmon Salad 

Ingredients:

60 grams of chopped spinach 

190 grams of brown lentils 

190 grams of brown rice 

140 grams of canned salmon flakes 

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon mustard 

Instructions: 

Brown Lentils 

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 700ml of water to a boil. 
2. Add brown lentils, cover and reduce to low. 
3. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed.
4. Drain any remaining liquid. 

Brown rice 

1. Cover rice with water in a pot and bring to a boil. 
2. Cover and reduce heat to low. 
3. Summer to 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and remove from heat. 
4. Keep covered and steam for an additional 10 minutes
5. Fluff with fork 

Assemble Salad 

1. Toss together the spinach, lentils, rice and canned salmon. 
2. To make the dressing, whisk together oil and mustard and toss into the salad.