Eating Right Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

Eating right doesn’t have to be hard.  Incorporating fresh, organic, and nutritious foods into your meal plans can actually be easier than you think.  Take this Fresh Lemon Butter Salmon recipe accompanied by organic vegetables, pictured are rainbow carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini served with rice.  I used some left over white rice (I know…I know) that was still left in my pantry and mixed in organic brown rice.  For those that are looking for a Paleo, Keto or low carbohydrate version you could easily use riced cauliflower instead.  If you are looking for a dairy free or Paleo option substitute ghee in place of the butter.

So, why eat salmon?  Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids.  This is a needed nutrient that our body cannot produce and therefore we need to ingest it in our diet.  Omega-3 fatty acids contain Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which are shown to improve cardiovascular health including lowering blood pressure, reducing triglycerides, and increasing HDL your good cholesterol.  It also aids in brain health helping to reduce mental decline as we age, helping to reduce ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms.  It is thought to help reduce inflammation which we all know has an effect on the cardiovascular system and can impact those suffering from autoimmune diseases or metabolic syndrome.

What’s different about rainbow carrots than regular orange carrots?  While orange carrots are high in beta and alpha carotene, which your body converts to Vitamin A, rainbow carrots also provide additional nutrients.  The yellow carrot adds Xanthophykks and Lutein, which both have shown to help prevent cancer and support better eye health.  The red carrots contain Lycopene, like tomatoes, and are shown to reduce cancer risks.  The purple carrots contain Anthocyanin, which has been linked to reducing cardiovascular disease.  The red and purple carrots also contain beta carotene as well, so you do not lose any of the orange carrot nutritional value.

Fresh Lemon Butter Salmon Recipe

• 2 fresh wild caught salmon filets (can use frozen but will need to defrost)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 whole lemon (use half for juice and the other half for garnish)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Place aluminum foil in a baking pan but leave enough extra foil to be able to make a pouch around the salmon
3. Place the salmon on the aluminum foil
4. Melt butter and then mix in lemon juice and garlic
5. Pour butter mixture over the salmon
6. Sprinkle the salmon with salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes
7. Garnish each salmon filet with a slice of lemon
8. Close the aluminum foil over the salmon to make a pouch and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily
9. When done baking turn oven to broil setting and open aluminum foil pouch and broil salmon for 2-4 minutes, watch carefully so you don’t burn the fish.
10. Remove from oven and serve using any extra butter sauce to pour over the salmon

The saturated fat and sodium content is a little high for this recipe but you can easily make adjustments to help reduce those numbers.  Instead of butter use olive oil with a tablespoon of butter for flavor.  You could use butter with no salt or reduce the additional salt in the recipe.  Remember everything is not a one size fits all.  Make adjustments that fit your needs and I bet it will be just as delicious.  And most importantly hold on to that purpose of why you are making these healthy changes!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	325
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26.5g	34%
Saturated Fat 12.8g	64%
Cholesterol 70mg	23%
Sodium 827mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 2.3g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0.2g	1%
Total Sugars 1.4g
Protein 22g
Vitamin D 12mcg	60%
Calcium 192mg	15%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 40mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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