10 good mood foods

By Michelle Smith

What you eat really does make a difference to whether you approach the day with gusto or fall at the first hurdle. Try these recipes and put a spring back in your step

Cranberry & Orange Muffins Eggs Florentine Chicken, asparagus & avocado salad Tuscan bean and pasta soup Tuna and apple open sandwich Spicy sweet potato soup Veggie stir fry with cashews Roasted salmon with salsa picante Baked figs Chocolate rice pudding

Blast-off breakfasts

Cranberry & Orange Muffins
Packed full of fibre and omega 3, these muffins will give you plenty of energy for that long commute and help your brain tick over until lunch. Freeze on Sunday and defrost and warm throughout the week.

175g wholemeal self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp wheat bran
2 tbsp linseeds
3 tbsp sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
75g soft brown sugar
Grated zest of a large orange
75g dried cranberries
3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large eggs
250ml low-fat natural yoghurt
1 tbsp rolled oats

Preheat oven to 170C/Gas 5 Place nine large cases in muffin tin. Stir together the flour, baking powder, wheat bran, linseeds, sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds, sugar, orange zest and cranberries. Add the oil, eggs, yoghurt and mix. Spoon into cases and scatter with oats. Bake for 25 minutes or until the muffins have risen and are cracking slightly on top.

Eggs Florentine
If you've got a big presentation, it's worth making time for this breakfast. The iron-tastic eggs and spinach will make sure you've got superhuman powers of concentration while the vitamin B in spinach is great for energy and confidence.

55g defrosted frozen spinach
2 slices ciabatta
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 egg

Squeeze excess water from the spinach before shredding finely. Fill a small pan with water, stir in vinegar and allow to boil before gently poaching the egg. Meanwhile, drizzle the ciabatta with oil and lightly toast, and place spinach in pan to warm. Arrange spinach on the ciabatta and top with the egg.