Four Foods to Include in Your Diet if You Suffer From Depression, Anxiety, and/or Moodiness

4 Foods to Include in Your Diet If You Suffer From Depression, Anxiety, and/or Moodiness

Are you in perimenopause and struggling with depression, anxiety, moodiness, or all three?!?! Switching up your diet can play a huge part in how you feel mentally. Alongside treatment and lifestyle tweaks, the foods you eat can really help to ease anxiety, elevate your mood, and get you feeling like yourself again.

Ready to make some tasty changes that may also help your anxiety, depression, and moodiness? 

Here are four amazing foods to include often if you're ready to feel mentally healthy:

1. Fatty fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, sardines)
   Why: Rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which is linked to improved mood, reduced inflammation, and better brain health.
   Practical tip: Aim for 2 servings per week. If you don’t eat fish, consider an algae-based DHA supplement after discussing with a healthcare provider.

2. Dark leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale, Swiss chard)
   Why: High in folate (vitamin B9) and other nutrients that support neurotransmitter production and reduce fatigue.
   Practical tip: Include a cup of greens with any meal! Easily add spinach to your breakfast, whether it's in a smoothie or cooked with your eggs in the morning. You can even sautee some spinach as a side with your lunchtime sandwich or dinner. I love to sautee mine with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of feta.
3. Berries (e.g., blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)
   Why: Packed with antioxidants and polyphenols that may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are linked to mood disorders.
   Practical tip: Have all fruit washed and ready to go! As you put groceries away, wash and lay out to dry all your produce. Put away in the fridge so that it's an easy decision to grab a healthy snack that's ready to eat, versus having to wash, cut, prep, etc. When fruit is ready to eat, you'll go for it more often.
4. Fermented foods (e.g., yogurt with live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi)
   Why: Probiotics may support gut health, which is increasingly linked to mental health via the gut-brain axis.
   Practical tip: Include a serving of probiotic-rich foods regularly. And here's the thing... a serving of kimchi, for example, is ONLY 1 TABLESPOON! Add it to your eggs, salads, sides... the options are endless!

Overcoming depression, anxiety, and moodiness means looking at the big picture, and your diet is a huge yet often TOTALLY OVERLOOKED part of that picture. By adding omega-rich foods, dark leafy greens, berries, and fermented foods to your daily meals, you're not just eating better; you're living better. Start experimenting to discover tasty, healthful ways to enjoy these foods every day. Here's a sample of a meal plan for one day focusing on the 4 foods to include PLUS it's protein-forward! Lots of goodness!

Breakfast: Greek yogurt (1 cup) with mixed berries (1 cup) and a handful of walnuts. add a scoop of protein powder if needed to reach protein target.

• Protein estimate: 25–35 g from yogurt + 15–25 g from whey/plant protein if used; berries and greens included.

Lunch: Grilled chicken breast (6 oz) over a large spinach salad with kale (2 cups raw), cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil–lemon dressing. Add a side of sauerkraut.

• Protein: ~38 g

Snack 1: Cottage cheese (1 cup) with blueberries (0.5 cup) and a spoon of chia seeds.

• Protein: ~28 g

Dinner: Baked salmon (6 oz) with steamed broccoli (2 cups) and quinoa (1 cup cooked). Optional small kimchi side.

• Protein: ~34 g from salmon + quinoa ~6 g

Snack 2 (optional, if needed): Hard-boiled egg + an apple.

• Protein: ~6 g

NEED MORE HELP? 

Click here to grab my *FREE GUIDE* - "Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Mind: Learn about the gut-brain connection, eliminate moodiness, and relieve your depression and anxiety symptoms with 8 tips your therapist, doctor, or Psychiatrist never told you to try!"