5 foods that will boost your mood

5 foods that will boost your mood

Feel better fast with these healthy pick-me-up foods, plus learn which foods will get you down

By Tara Nolan

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2. Fruits and vegetables

Ok, this is a no-brainer. We all know fruits and veggies are good for us. But who wants a piece of fruit when you hit that 3-o’clock wall? Well, with a little creativity and planning, you can make it work. Try baking kale into chips or yams into fries, dip carrot sticks into hummus or tahini and incorporate all your fruits for the day into a delicious shake.

Fruits and vegetables are high in phytochemicals, which improve the health of our brain cells. “If you reduce the inflammation in your body, you feel better,” says Kleiner. “Everything functions more clearly.”

When it comes to fruit, Kleiner says we should be eating fruits that are high in vitamin C every day, like citrus, berries or kiwis. She also recommends at least one deep orange or red vegetable from the carotinoid family per day, such as carrots and yams; one from the brassica family, like broccoli or cabbage; and one from the allium family, such as garlic, onions or leeks.