Another reason to eat chocolate?

As it turns out, what you eat can also have a big impact on your mood.

Plus, they are easy to incorporate into your daily diet.

Raw salmon and tuna in a bowl

yumehana/Getty Images

Keep reading to find out what foods will boost your mood, according to several nutrition experts.

If you’re not a fan of salmon or tuna, get your omega-3 fatty acids from foods likeflaxseedsortofu.

But note that the body’s absorption of omega-3 from plant-based sources is not as effective as from seafood.

Broken pieces of dark chocolate

alvarez/Getty Images

Dark Chocolate

alvarez/Getty Images

Yes, a chocolate bar can really help improve your mood!

However, when shopping for mood-boosting chocolate, Means points out that the cocoa content is key.

This, in turn, increases alertness and attention, thus having a positive effect on your mood.

A jar of kimchi beside a jar of sauerkraut

Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty Images

Need another reason to stock up on beans and lentils?

Both foods are also good sources of tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin.

Carbohydrates

Carbs rule when it comes to boosting your mood.

A bowl full of Brazil nuts

Amarita/Getty Images

Usually, this pop in of food is carbohydrates.

When it comes to carbs (such as whole grain bread, potatoes, pasta, etc.

Therefore, you’re able to derive energy and feel more uplifted the fastest from carbs.

A bowl of raw spinach beside a bowl of raw kale

Anthony Boulton/Getty Images

L-theanine, an amino acid, is one of the most important substances in tea.

Tea is actually a commonly consumed substance in theBlue Zonesa region where people live the longest.

Quercetin is a phytochemical that acts as a natural antidepressant in the nervous system.

A cup of coffee with coffee beans on either side

Iryna Veklich/Getty Images

It inhibits levels of an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) that is known to cause depression.

Chia Seeds

Elena Fedorina/Getty Images

Another food thats a great source of magnesium?Chia seeds.

Chia seeds are tiny yet mighty.

Various colorful bowls of beans and lentils

Helen Camacaro/Getty Images

About two tablespoons meets close to 25 percent of the daily value for magnesium.

Low levels of magnesium, according to research, are linked to depression and weakness.

Mushrooms

Elizabeth Perez Holowaty/Getty Images

Mushroomsare more than just a hearty vegetable and occasional meat substitute.

A spread that includes bread, dried pasta, and other carbohydrates

Helen Camacaro/Getty Images

Mushrooms are high in the antioxidant ergothioneine, which could be responsible for their positive effect on mood.

This antioxidant may lower oxidative stress, reducing the symptoms of depression."

That’s where oats come in.

A bowl of roasted pumpkin seeds with a pumpkin in the background on either side

bhofack2/Getty Images

These vitamins influence energy metabolism, which is crucial for maintaining a stable mood."

Not just a garnish, cinnamon is an adaptogen that balances stress hormones to promote a sense of calmness.

“Its anti-inflammatory properties may also help support mood stability.”

A cup of black tea just in front of a cup of green tea

Vlad Fishman/Getty Images

Poultry

tbralnina / Getty Images

Do you know why everyone feels happy right after Thanksgiving dinner?

It’s that healthy dose of tryptophan that can be found in turkey and chicken.

Increase your intake by incorporatinggrilled chickeninto salads and swapping out red meat forturkey burgers.

An assortment of different colored berries

Hanan Isachar/Getty Images

Olive Oil

Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images

Remember those monounsaturated fats we talked about earlier?

Olive oil has them, too.

“Try adding yogurt to your breakfastlineup for a mood boost.

A jar of spilled chia seeds

Elena Fedorina/Getty Images

2021 Sep 7;11(1):465].Transl Psychiatry.

A cross-sectional survey of 13,626 US adults.Depress Anxiety.

2013;27(5).

An assortment of mushrooms on a serving board

Elizabeth Perez Holowaty/Getty Images

doi:10.1177/0269881112473791

Magrone T, Russo MA and Jirillo E.Cocoa and dark chocolate polyphenols: from biology to clinical applications.Front.

2015 Sep 24;163:258].Cell.

2016;8(2):68. doi:10.3390/nu8020068

Singh S, McKintosh R. Adenosine.

A sliced lean steak on a cutting board

Ilia Nesolenyi/Getty Images

StatPearls Publishing; 2024.

2009;90(4):1056-1060. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27493

Office of dietary supplements - choline.

Accessed December 12, 2024. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/

foods-that-boost-your-mood-avocados-realsimple-GettyImages-854389420

tashka2000 / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-oats-realsimple-GettyImages-1135037027

Arx0nt / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-spices-realsimple-GettyImages-1470838826

Ivan Bajic / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-sweet-potatoes-realsimple-GettyImages-1421792802

Nata Serenko / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-poultry-realsimple-GettyImages-1040847028

tbralnina / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-olive-oil-realsimple-GettyImages-1817368147

Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-dairy-realsimple-GettyImages-1145250305

Mizina / Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-garlic-realsimple-GettyImages-1343459249

Yulia Naumenko / Getty Images

egg-hacks-from-egg-farmers

Getty Images

foods-that-boost-your-mood-honey-realsimple-GettyImages-1224951405

showcake / Getty Images