Healthy Minds > Mental wellbeing and everyone > At Home > Good Mood Food

Good Mood Food

Boost your energy and put a smile on your face with our list of top mood-enhancing foods!

Body and soul

You are what you eat, so they say – but did you know that the food you eat can affect your mood as well as your waistline?  Poor diet can have a strong influence on your concentration and wellbeing – so help yourself feel better by making the right food choices!

A balanced diet

For optimum mind and body health, you need to eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, oily fish and lean meat or poultry.

Eating regularly is important.  If you skip breakfast, your blood sugar will drop, and you’ll be hungry, tired and lacking in concentration by mid-morning.  Eat three meals a day with a few healthy snacks in between, and watch your energy levels and concentration improve.

Making food fun

Eating should be enjoyable – there’s no point in forcing down sprouts if you loathe them!  Make meals a taste sensation by experimenting with herbs, spices, and different textures and flavours.

Changing your diet can feel daunting, and you’re more likely to lapse if you change everything at once.  Instead, try incorporating small changes into your diet, like having a banana instead of a biscuit as a snack.  A few simple swaps are easier to manage than a complete lifestyle overhaul!

Good food meal ideas

• For breakfast, try a bowl of porridge flavoured with a little honey, cinnamon, chopped-up fruit and toasted seeds. Oats will affect your blood glucose levels less dramatically than white toast, and release energy slowly to give you energy all morning. Sunflower seeds are a good source of essential fats that can benefit your mood.
• Lean red meat, bananas, turkey and nuts are all good sources of tryptophan, which can help to regulate your mood – so eat them regularly!  Why not try a turkey stir-fry with red peppers and broccoli spears, or a fruit salad with bananas, sprinkled with chopped nuts?
• Omega-3 oils are beneficial for mind health – so up your oily fish and seed intake.  Try grilling a fresh tuna steak drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serving with roasted vegetables, or pack a delicious salad with smoked mackerel for lunch.
• When you’re craving a snack, choose from our list of healthy snacks, rather than reaching automatically for a chocolate bar.
• Try the Mind Meal, a delicious dinner created by nutritional therapist Amanda Geary for leading mental health charity Mind.  It’s full of vitamins, minerals and essential fats important for emotional and mental health – and tastes great too!

Check out more great recipes!

Regina Shallow has put together recipes for Cajun Chicken Tortilla, Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Chinese Noodles, Tuna Hawaiian Baguette and Banana Smoothie. Sound tasty? Get the recipes here

Read 'Mix it up with music'...