The Foods That Boost Your Mood Are Not What You See in the Movies

Salmon Recipes

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce; Ellie Krieger

Photo by: Tara Donne

Tara Donne

It's a movie cliche: The protagonist, depressed after being dumped by the boy she digs, berated by her boss and blown off by her best friend, sits in the gloomy kitchen half-light, taking a spoon directly to a pint of ice cream or scarfing down a sad-looking cupcake. She's using sweet treats and highly refined carbs to scuttle the blues and boost her mood — possibly while wearing unflattering pajamas, watching bad TV, and trying to ignore concerned and/or skeptical looks from her cat.

The scene has become a Hollywood trope, in part, because we recognize in it our own impulse to turn to comfort foods to boost our spirits — along with our blood sugar — when life gets us down or stresses us out. But, NPR reports, the relationship between food and mood is likely more complex than that.

The relief these high-sugar, high-carb foods bring may be fleeting, creating a "vicious cycle," Harvard University pediatrics and nutrition professor David Ludwig told NPR. "When we feel stressed we seek foods that are going to comfort us immediately, but often times those foods lead to surges and crashes in hormones and blood sugar that increase our susceptibility to new stresses," he explained.

That's not to say there aren't foods that can boost our moods and help us weather bad times. The Omega-3s found in fish, flax seed and chia seeds can make us more emotionally and socially flexible and resilient, studies indicate. A nutrition-rich diet — high in beneficial proteins, vitamins and minerals — can help beat stress, battle anxiety and boost our immune system.

Perhaps best of all, dark chocolate, with its cocoa flavonols, can promote an upbeat outlook and clear thinking, as well as reduce inflammation and improve vascular health. It can have, The Happiness Diet author Drew Ramsey told NPR, "an acute effect on mood."

So next time you're down, maybe skip the ice cream and dig into some Omega-3-rich salmon (pictured above) with a side of vitamin-rich kale, then indulge your sweet tooth with some dark chocolate bark. The recommended daily dose of dark chocolate is about 1 ounce per day. But don't tell that to the cat!

Next Up

6 Surprising Foods That Can Boost Your Mood

Bring these into your rotation to support brain health.

All the Foods You Haven't Thought to Grill This Summer

Forget the burgers and hot dogs! Toss pizza, seafood, pasta and more on the barbecue.

The Food-Shaped Candles I'm Getting Everyone for Holiday Gifts

An Italian company has been making them for hundreds of years.

All the Foods You Should Be Pairing with Pumpkin Beer

Get the best Food Network recipe to pair with your favorite fall brew.

We’ve Predicted the Biggest Food Trends You’ll See In 2023

What will we all be cooking and eating next year?

What a Food Safety Expert Wants You to Know About All the Food Recalls

Including how to stay up-to-date on the latest recalled products.

15+ Last-Minute Mother's Day Gifts for the Food-Loving Mom

You still have time to get mom an extra-special gift this year!

These Are the Foods You Just Can't Make In an Air Fryer

Some foods can't be cooked with hot air alone.

4 Nutrition Tips to Boost Your Energy During Pregnancy

Low energy is a common frustration, but there are ways you can alleviate it.

Budget-Friendly Ways to Boost Your Protein at Any Meal

Upping your protein intake doesn't have to cost you.

On TV

Outchef'd

8am | 7c

Outchef'd

8:30am | 7:30c

Chopped

11am | 10c

Chopped

12pm | 11c

Beat Bobby Flay

1:30pm | 12:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

2:30pm | 1:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

3:30pm | 2:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

4:30pm | 3:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

5:30pm | 4:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

6:30pm | 5:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

7:30pm | 6:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

8:30pm | 7:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

9:30pm | 8:30c
On Tonight
On Tonight

Beat Bobby Flay

10pm | 9c

Beat Bobby Flay

10:30pm | 9:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

11:30pm | 10:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

12:30am | 11:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

1:30am | 12:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

2:30am | 1:30c

Beat Bobby Flay

3:30am | 2:30c

What's New