Salmon & Grated Beetroot Toast (with Lemon)
Overview
A fast, brain-forward open sandwich: omega-3 rich salmon + nitrate/polyphenol beetroot + lemon acidity for a sharp, savoury bite. Ideal for lunch when you need high protein without a long prep. Salmon sources, like all seafood, are important to research.
Ingredients (1 serving)
- Bread, wholegrain or sourdough: 1 slice (40 g)
- Salmon, cooked (or canned, drained): 90 g
- Beetroot, grated (raw or pre-cooked): 60 g
- Lemon juice: 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- Extra virgin olive oil (optional): 5 ml (1 tsp)
- Salt + black pepper: to taste
Optional upgrades (very BRAIN):
- 1 tsp (5 ml) capers or chopped dill/parsley
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (mix into beetroot)
- A few rocket/arugula leaves
Method
- Toast the bread until deeply golden (better texture, slower eating, improved satisfaction).
- Mix the beetroot: In a bowl combine grated beetroot + 15 ml lemon juice + a pinch of salt and pepper. Add 5 ml EVOO if using.
- Add the salmon: Flake salmon over the toast. Season lightly (pepper is enough if salmon is already salted).
- Top & press: Pile the lemony beetroot on top. Press gently so it holds together.
- Finish: Extra lemon squeeze if you like it brighter.
Nutrition
Per serving. Each included ingredient is scaled from a named per-100 g composition record by edible grams. Optional ingredients are excluded. Missing analytical values are not treated as zero.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Energy | 320 kcal |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Sugars | 6.3 g |
| Fibre | 2.6 g |
| Total fat | 12 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.4 g |
| Sodium | 340 mg |
Sodium excludes salt added to taste. Most of it comes from the bread.
Key vitamins and minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving | Reference intake |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 µg | 105% RDA |
| Selenium | 49 µg | 89% RDA |
| Vitamin D | 12 µg | 79% RDA |
| Vitamin B3 | 9.4 mg | 59% RDA |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.67 mg | 52% RDA |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.61 mg | 51% RDA |
| Phosphorus | 290 mg | 42% RDA |
| Folate | 150 µg | 37% RDA |
Vitamins and minerals supplying at least 15% of an adult reference intake, up to eight. RDA is a recommended dietary allowance; AI is an adequate intake, used where the evidence does not support an RDA. Nutrients below the threshold are still calculated and still count towards a daily total.
Bioactive compounds
| Compound | Per serving |
|---|---|
| EPA | 620 mg |
| DHA | 1310 mg |
These compounds have no recognised intake target, so an amount is given without a percentage.
Calculation details
| Ingredient | Weight used | Composition record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 slice (40 g) wholegrain or sourdough bread | 40 g | USDA FDC 172675 — Bread, french or vienna, includes sourdough |
| 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained) | 90 g | USDA FDC 175168 — Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, dry heat |
| 60 g grated beetroot | 60 g | USDA FDC 169145 — Beets, raw |
| 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice | 16 g | USDA FDC 167747 — Lemon juice, raw |
Mainly from:
- Energy: 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained), Sourdough Bread
- Protein: 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained), Sourdough Bread
- Carbohydrates: Sourdough Bread, Beetroot
- Sugars: Beetroot, Sourdough Bread
- Fibre: Beetroot, Sourdough Bread
- Total fat: 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained)
- Saturated fat: 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained)
- Sodium: Sourdough Bread, 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained)
Assumptions and exclusions:
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice: USDA SR Legacy FDC 167747 food_portion: 1 cup = 244 g, i.e. 1.031 g/ml; 15 ml = 15.5 g.
- 90 g cooked salmon (or canned, drained): Same species and farming as the Salmon food page, corrected from raw to the cooked state the recipe specifies.
- 5 ml (1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil (optional) — the recipe marks the oil optional; adding 5 ml (4.5 g by USDA SR Legacy FDC 171413) contributes about 40 kcal
- salt and black pepper, to taste — added to taste, so it is not part of an exact sodium total
- optional upgrades: capers, dill or parsley, Dijon mustard, rocket leaves — optional upgrades
The olive oil is optional and is not included; adding 5 ml raises energy by about 40 kcal. Most of the sodium comes from the bread. EPA and DHA depend strongly on whether the salmon is wild or farmed; farmed Atlantic salmon is used here.
Key micronutrient highlights (why it's "BRAIN")
- DHA/EPA (salmon): Provides omega-3 fats important for brain structure and signaling.
- Nitrates (beetroot): Beetroot contains dietary nitrates that are studied for their role in nitric oxide signaling.
- Folate + potassium (beetroot): Provides folate and potassium involved in one-carbon metabolism and electrolyte balance.
- Vitamin C (lemon): A source of vitamin C and polyphenol-preserving acidity.
Brain Health Notes
- Salmon provides EPA and DHA, omega-3 fats that are important for brain structure and cell membranes.
- Beetroot contains dietary nitrates that are studied for their role in nitric oxide and vascular function.
- Lemon provides vitamin C, a water-soluble antioxidant.
- Wholegrain/sourdough bread provides fibre and a slower release of carbohydrate compared with refined bread.
Salmon sourcing
Both wild-caught and responsibly farm-raised salmon can be good options. Where possible, choose salmon that is sustainably sourced and labelled as free from routine antibiotics and unnecessary additives, whether wild or farmed. Please be sure to research your supermarket and their suppliers — many are moving towards more sustainable, ethical sourcing (e.g. M&S Aquaculture and Fisheries). For a balanced overview of wild versus farmed salmon, see resources such as the summary from North Coast Seafoods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly publish guidance on fish mercury levels. They categorize fish into "Best Choices", "Good Choices", and "Choices to Avoid" based on average mercury concentrations and safe weekly intake levels. Salmon is repeatedly in the "Best Choices" category because it consistently has low mercury relative to the reference dose used to set safety advice (≤0.15 µg/g).
Explore the foods and substances
Show 5 foods and their substances
Lemon
Vitamin C for iron absorption enhancement and pH adjustment
Substances: Eriocitrin, Hesperidin, Vitamin C (Ascorbate)
Olive Oil
See extra virgin olive oil for detailed information
Salmon
Oily fish rich in EPA/DHA, protein, and B vitamins
Substances: Astaxanthin, DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid), Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Selenium, Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
