The Brain Plate
Fuel Your Brain. Feed Your Mood. Take Control of Your Mental Health.
Registered Dietitians Ann Kent, MS, RD, CDCES, CIEC & Amanda Ashcraft, MS, RD, LPC created this cookbook and guide to help you nourish your brain and support mental wellness through food.
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What if your meals could support your mental health?
You can do so much to improve your mental health - beyond deep breathing and exercise.
Did you know the vitamins and minerals in your food can improve your brain health?
The hormones that regulate your emotions – like serotonin and dopamine – are made up of nutrients in the foods you eat. If you’re not getting enough of those foods, your body doesn’t have the building blocks to make the hormones that make you happy.
That’s why we wrote The Brain Plate. In our cookbook, we teach you which nutrients you need, how to find them in everyday foods, and what to do if you’re not getting enough of them. (Yes, including delicious recipes.)
More Than Just a Cookbook
The Brain Plate is a complete guide for nourishing your brain and supporting mental wellness through food.
Nutrient & Supplement Guide for Mental Health
Learn which nutrients matter most for brain function, mood, and mental clarity - and how to get them from real food. Understand how both macro- and micronutrients work in the body and g et expert guidance on micronutrients, herbal supplements, and amino acids and understand when you might benefit from taking a dietary supplement.
Because supplements are a common question, The Brain Plate includes fact sheets on the most common supplements for mental health – including their proposed mechanism of action, the suggested dose, and any precautions you should take before starting them.
4 Week Meal Plan with Recipes for Mental Health
Designed for busy schedules and specifically formulated to include the nutrients of concern for mental health, each weekly plan includes:
✅ 2 quick 30-minute meals per week
✅ 1 slow-cooker meal (set it and forget it!)
✅ 1 “challenge” meal to expand your palate
✅ 1 vegetarian meal to help your budget and the planet
✅ 2 grab-and-go options for hectic days
✅ 2 breakfasts + 2 snacks to get you out of food ruts
Troubleshooting Guide for Mental Health Challenges
Knowledge is power, but behavior change is crucial. Get practical strategies for specific challenges in the troubleshooting guide, that walks you through the most common challenges that get in the way of healthy eating for those with anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
Get practical strategies for specific challenges that arise with anxiety, depression, and ADHD - plus tips for overcoming mealtime obstacles.
Meet The Authors
Amanda Ashcraft, MS, LPC, RD
Translation: Master of Science in Community Counseling, Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Dietitian
Because she is trained in both nutrition and mental health, Amanda believes true well-being stems from addressing not only therapy or medication but also how we nourish ourselves.
With her experience in intuitive eating and integrative mental health, she uses a holistic and multidimensional approach to nutrition. Amanda brings the science of food and brain biology to identify specific nutrients of concern for mental health illnesses. In The Brain Plate, she uses her clinical background to help troubleshoot and overcome obstacles to healthy eating which are common – but so challenging – in different mental health areas
Ann Kent, MS, RD, CDCES, CIEC
Translation: Master of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition, Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor
Ann fell in love with food at an early age, helping her mom “make lunches” for the harvest crew growing up on a farm. She brings her passion of making healthy eating accessible for everyone – no matter how busy, or how little previous cooking experience you might have.
Based on the nutrients most concerning for mental health, Ann has crafted a meal plan filled with simple, practical, and delicious recipes. She has helped thousands of people integrate meal planning in a way that makes their lives easier – rather than just adding another thing to the to-do list – and you’ll be delighted to find how much time this process saves you, too.
Support your mental health by eating foods that fuel your brain and body.
The Brain Plate Cookbook is for you if...
- You want to improve your mental health naturally - without restrictive diets or expensive supplements
- You feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition advice online and want science-backed clarity from experts in the field
- You struggle with anxiety, depression, ADHD, or brain fog and want to use nutrition as one of the pillars of treatment
- You’re busy but still want to eat well (our simple meal planning system makes it easy!)
- You want to feel in control of your health and understand the “why” behind what you eat.
This program is packed with value to support your journey!
Frequently Asked Questions
When we say it’s more than just a cookbook, we mean it. We’ve included an overview of nutrition and how both macro- and micronutrients work in the body. Because supplements are a common question, you’ll find a fact sheet on the most common supplements for mental health – including their proposed mechanism of action, the suggested dose, and any precautions you should take before starting them. Of course we’ve included recipes (it is a cookbook!) – but we include these in a very specific way. You’ll find a 4-week meal plan which is based on season to help you enjoy the most affordable, most nutritious produce throughout the year. There are modifications for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan if you need to adjust your plan. Lastly, because we work with clients all the time, we understand that knowledge is power, but behavior change is crucial. We’ve included a troubleshooting guide that walks you through the most common challenges that get in the way of healthy eating for those with anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
It depends. Mental health is a complex disease that includes many factors – some are controllable (like whether or not you’re eating enough Omega-3s) and some are not (like your genetic makeup). We believe that medication fills the gap where lifestyle cannot. But medication works best when support using a holistic approach – including nutrition, exercise, meditation, therapy, and more.
Yes! You can purchase the book as a paperback or on Kindle.
