MOOD FOOD10 Foods for Mental Health and Better Mood by Jess Sherie
To build better mental health, you want a full range of vitamins and minerals, a good amount of protein, and plenty of brain-health and gut-health superfoods. You want stable energy and a strong immune system. You also want to cut back on sugars and caffeine while still enjoying treats and pick-me-ups. Getting mor omega 3, healthy fats, iron, magnesium, and vitamins B, C and D and selenium into your meals can have a powerfully positive effect on your mental health. You also want meals that are simple, quick to prepare, and delicious to boot. Why? Because eating for mental health needs to be easier than falling back into bad eating habits. Here’s a list of quick and tasty foods for mental health using all the above ideas. Try them and see how a mental health focused diet can up your happiness and mental wellbeing every day.
1. BREAKFAST - Start your day with a mood boost and a hit of long-lasting energy.
Poached Eggs on Toast with Avocado
Eggs and avocado are both amazing foods for mental health. You’ll get a full serve of protein from those eggs to keep you full. Plus, eggs and avocado contain omega 3 and healthy fats: ideal for brain health. Egg yolks and avocado also have Vitamin B6, iron, and magnesium, vital for energy and mood. And egg yolks contain half our vitamin D needs which is amazing!
Add a piece of grainy whole meal or sourdough bread; denser bread is low Gl (glycemic) for long lasting energy, and high in fiber for your gut health.
2. Nutty Granola with Greek Yogurt
Granola is my go-to breakfast and one of the best foods for mental health. It’s versatile, eat it with yogurt, your choice of milk, or simply by itself. Adding berries gives it even more variety. Avoid granola with dried fruit which is very high in sugar—choose a nut and seed filled granola instead. The protein and the low Gl carbs from the nuts, seeds, and oats will fill you up and keep you energized. Add some high-protein, low-sugar yogurt and you’ll get a dose of probiotics for your gut health as well.
3. Berries
Some fruits are quite high in sugar, so if you’ve got a mental illness, you might want to skip grapes and pineapples. Save them for an occasional treat or dessert. Berries on the other hand—blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries—are relatively low in sugar, and have all those awesome fruity nutrients. Berries are high in vitamin C: super important for energy, mood, and immunity. Blueberries are also packed with antioxidants and have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Frozen berries are just as nutritious.
4. Nuts
Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, are the ideal mental health boosting snack. They’re easy to store, help keep you full until lunch, and boost your concentration. Walnuts have the highest concentration of Omega 3 of all nuts and are incredible for brain health. You can eat nuts raw, or you can jazz them up. Try making a sweet nut mix with chocolate nibs and dried berries, or a savory mix with herbs and spices like rosemary or paprika.
5. LUNCH - A good lunch is simple, delicious, and nutritious.
Quinoa or Brown Rice Salads
Gl, high-protein grains like quinoa and brown rice give us long lasting energy and stable blood sugar levels. If you struggle with your mental health, that’s a big deal. You’re probably tired all the time already, and constant high-and-crashing energy levels do not help. You need stable energy to improve mood and concentration and to keep your stress levels down. Quinoa and brown rice salads are an easy way to get these low Gl carbs, and it’s easy to add vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats (cheese, olive oil, nuts, or avocado).
6. Super Soups
Experiment with smooth, blended soups, chunky soups, stew-style soups, or vegetarian and meat-based soups. Try adding bacon bits, zucchini noodles, parmesan cheese, or nuts on top. Soups are a powerful and comforting way to get a heap of super foods—especially vegetables, herbs, and spices—all at once. You can also include gut-friendly ingredients such as bone broth to give that second brain of yours a boost. Add a grainy bread roll or some crackers for some low Gl energy as well.
7. Low Carb Treats
An ideal afternoon snack is low in sugar and high in protein to give you full and stable until dinner. Try exploring low carb, low sugar recipes for cream cheese fudge, homemade coconut chocolates, and almond flour cookies. It’s easier than you might think to incorporate mental health super foods like cacao and walnuts into baked goods and treats. Learning to bake with stevia will also satisfy your sweet tooth without raising your blood sugar. You want to avoid the sudden high-and-crash of your usual cookie or chocolate afternoon treat.
8. Smoothies
Experiment with different fruits and vegetables, add yogurt or nuts for protein, and bananas or oats for long lasting energy. You can also add superfoods like chia. A favorite smoothie is made with cacao, peanut butter, milk, banana, and sometimes avocado or spinach. Smoothies are also a great way to boost your hydration.
9. DINNER
Salmon and Rainbow Salad or Vegetables
Salmon is really one of the best foods for mental health plus it’s so tasty and versatile. All oily fish—tuna, mackerel, anchovies, salmon—are high in protein and Omega 3s and are serious powerhouses for brain and heart health. If you want to improve your mental health, oily fish several times a week is the way to go. Salmon is also high in selenium and B vitamins, and helps stabilize blood sugar levels for steady energy and a good night’s sleep. Pair your salmon with a wide range of vegetables for a double or triple serve of nutrients.
10. Chicken Tray Bake
Bake chicken and vegetables in the oven for a fast, easy meal packed with proteins and vitamins. Chicken is high in protein and low in saturated fats, good for those of us with anxious stomachs. Try swapping it for turkey as well—it’s high in tryptophan to help with serotonin production in your gut. Towards the end of the bake, you can add tasty extras such as feta cheese, nuts, or leafy greens to really supercharge your meal.
Eating specific foods for mental health can:
• Improve your sleep
• Lift your mood
• Boost concentration and productivity
•• Help stabilize and increase your energy levels
• Lower stress
• Balance your blood sugar
We can’t change our past but we can create a better future for ourselves and our health.
• Lift your mood
• Boost concentration and productivity
• Help stabilize and increase your energy levels
• Lower stress
• Balance your blood sugar
can’t change our past but we can create a better future for ourselves and our health.
