10 Foods to Boost Your Mood

Conde Nast Digital StudioBy Bon Appetit

Each year starting in November, between two and nine percent of the U.S. population reports a decreased interest in friendship. Simultaneously, interest in bagels, croissants, carrot cake, sugar cookies, and sleeping until noon goes off the charts. We--oops, we mean those people--emerge from their Seasonal Affective Disorder caves around April, often a little plumper than when they entered.

These may sound like statistics we're making up to justify throwing this SAD Party we keep talking about, but they're true.

"In some ways, people who have SAD behave a bit like hibernating animals," says Dr. Richard A. Friedman, Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. "As the daylight shortens, their energy drops...mood drops, sex drive drops, and appetite increases." Yikes.

Related: 10 Snacks You Thought Were Healthy But Really Aren't

"People who have SAD crave carbohydrates, which release serotonin in the brain." Friedman continues. (And as we all know, serotonin is the power player in Prozac.)

So indulge in some foods that will make you feel better, but do it the right way. (That way does not include inhaling bags of potato chips, delicious as they are.) "You have to avoid the simple carbohydrates, candies, cakes and breads," says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University. "You want to shift the diet towards lean proteins." So with our cave-dwelling friends in mind, we asked the professionals for a healthy approach to merry-making winter diets.

1. Low-Fat Milk
Good Stuff: During low-sunlight months, milk offers a Vitamin D fix
Why: "Most of us are low in Vitamin D and most of us can benefit from some extra. Some of my patients feel that it helps their SAD." --Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University, author of Winter Blues
Try: Hot Cocoa with low-fat milk

2. Wild Salmon
Good Stuff: Fatty fish are natural anti-depressants
Why: "Omega-3 fatty acids...cannot be manufactured, you have to get them in your diet," says Dr. Richard A. Friedman, Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. "These omega-3 fatty acids actually have anti-depressant effects, not just in people with seasonal depression but everybody with depression." Try incorporating flax seed oil and salmon into your diet.
Try: Salmon Steaks with Spicy Tomato Sauce (pictured above)

3. Bulgur
Good stuff: Slower digestion keeps you happier longer
Why: "Bulgur and quinoa are excellent foods because they have lots of fiber, minerals, and vitamins," says Dr. Friedman. Also, "they release their carbohydrates slowly because they have to be digested slowly," which is better for you than refined foods like cake, which gives you a high before sending you on a sugar crash.
Try: Bulgur, Garbanzo Bean and Cucumber Salad

4. Steel-Cut Oats
Good stuff: Complex carbs keep crash-and-burn at bay
Why: "I have steel-cut Irish oatmeal because it is less processed than other oats," says Dr. Rosenthal. In other words, you won't be hungry again in an hour.
Try: Steel Cut Oats

See Also: Over-the-Top Chocolate Desserts

5. Free-Range Turkey
Good Stuff: Helps build feel good chemicals
Why: "Turkey is high in tryptophan, an amino acid that is a building block for serotonin. The whole point of anti-depressants is to raise serotonin levels. So if you can do that naturally for people who are not clinically depressed but have SAD or the winter blues, that's great." --Dr. Susan Kleiner PhD, RD, author of the Good Mood Diet
Try: Grilled Turkey Cutlets

6. Beans
Good Stuff: A healthy gut equals a healthy brain
Why: "Beans have great fiber, which is good for the gut," says Dr. Kleiner. "We produce more serotonin in our guts than in our brains, and having a healthy gut affects your mood." Bonus: Legumes are also good sources of protein, antioxidants, and magnesium and other electrolytes.
Try: Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash

7. Nuts
Good Stuff: Healthy fats help reduce anxiety and stress
Why: "I like people to eat proteins, carbohydrates and high-performance fats," which are good brain function. says Dr. Kleiner. "They need to be the right fats--vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, and olives. Diets with lower than 25% of those good fats can decrease our ability to cope with stress and anxiety."
Try: Fire and Spice Nuts

8. Kale
Good Stuff: Leafy greens help regulate mood
Why: "Folate is found in leafy greens," says Dr. Friedman. "It's an essential nutrient to the synthesis of complicated molecules in the body, including neurotransmitters that regulate mood."
Try: Lentil and Vegetable Stew with Kale

9. Dark Chocolate
Good Stuff: Hard-to-pronounce ingredients provide a natural buzz
Why: "There is something in chocolate called theobromine, which is a caffeine-like stimulant," says Dr. Friedman, who also talked about phenylpropanolamin and flavonoids. But basically, "The darker and more bitter the chocolate the better it is for you." That's all you need to know.
Try: Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

10. Eggs
Good Stuff: Keep you thinking clearly
Why: "Eggs are probably our most abundant source of the B vitamin choline," says Dr. Kleiner. "Without this, you won't think clearly. Be sure to eat the whole egg, not just the whites."
Try: Golden Brown Omelet


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