Good Mood Food | 9 Foods that Boost Your Mood

Foods That Boost Your Mood and Help with Depression

Life is different now, we spend more (or most) of our time in our homes and our moods are bound to be affected by this change in lifestyle. Here are suggestions and ideas of using foods that may boost your mood!

While most of us are experiencing some form of quarantine, many turn to food for comfort. When you feel down, stressed, or bored, do you turn to food to help lift your spirits? There is research that shows a relationship between nutrition and moods.

While people turn to easy choices to help boost their mood when feeling depressed, the basics for good mood begins with implementing some basic nutrition strategies.  Let’s look at foods that boost your mood and don’t create that crash.

Here are 9 foods that can help boost your mood:

• Fatty Fish –Salmon and albacore tuna are two foods rich in Omega-3s and are shown to lower levels of depression.
• Dark Chocolate – Yum! Chocolate is rich in many mood boosting ingredients. It releases a plethora of feel good compounds linked to improving your mood.
• Berries – these fruits are linked to lower rates of depression and are rich in disease fighting nutrients. Fresh or frozen, berries may raise your mood
• Fermented Foods – Yogurt, kimchi, Kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut improve gut health. A healthy gut helps produce serotonin, which is a mood booster.
• Oats – Oats are an excellent source of fiber, which slow your digestion of carbs, allowing a gradual release of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to avoid the ups and downs of mood changes. They are also high in iron.
• Bananas –They are a great source of natural sugar, vitamin B6 and prebiotic fiber, which all work together to keep blood sugar levels and moods stable.
• Nuts and Seeds – Are high in protein, fiber and healthy fat, containing amino acids responsible for producing mood boosting serotonin. They also support brain function.
• Coffee – The caffeine and chlorogenic acid in coffee may just make you happier. Coffee increases the release of dopamine, known to boost your mood.
• Beans and Lentils – Are a source of B vitamins, which help improve mood by increasing levels of key neurotransmitters. High in folate which helps moods

If your mood is not at the place where you want it, try to incorporate some of the foods that boost your mood and help support your mind when feeling depressed.

For more information, on how to incorporate these foods to boost your mood schedule an appointment with one of our registered dietitians. We would love to help you build a mood-boosting meal plan to help you feel better emotionally and physically.