Mood-Boosting Foods for Kids to Help Reduce Anxiety

With so much going on these days, it’s easier than ever to turn to fast foods or other ‘comfort foods’ that can temporarily make us feel better emotionally. But the truth is, once we come down from our simple carb sugar rush, we’re often left feeling worse than before we ate.

The reason? Those processed foods we often reach for are typically missing essential nutrients and they usually contain preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and other unhealthy ingredients that our bodies simply weren’t designed to process.

Food and Mood Problems for Our Families

Mood problems for kids and adults alike have been linked to many additives in processed foods. It’s true. Our food choices affect not only our physical bodies, but also our minds and our moods. Food can contribute to problems with anxiety, depression, irritability, attention, and behavior. And, in the world of a picky eater, these issues tend to show up often. That's why it's so important to learn about good mood foods to reduce anxiety and other mood and behavior problems for our kids and families.

For many of our kids, go-to junk foods and snacks are missing vital nutrients that our brains need to produce the chemicals (neurotransmitters) that support better moods and behavior. When our diets are made up of ‘fake foods’, we often feel unnecessarily sad, angry, or nervous, and we may have difficulty focusing.

So, while we’re not setting out to take away all the fun or deprive ourselves of special treats, whatever we can do to steer toward healthier ‘good mood’ foods can only help in the long run. When it comes to reducing anxiety for our kids and ourselves, we can’t underestimate the power of food!

Here are some tips and mood-boosting foods for kids and families to reduce anxiety:

• Get the right kind and right amount of fats. Omega-3 essential fatty acids support the brain’s production of mood-lifting neurotransmitters, which can help improve overall mental health and emotional well-being. These fats are also crucial for reducing inflammation and promoting healthy brain function. Some important sources of these good mood foods include walnuts, salmon, avocado, flaxseeds, and Omega-3 fortified eggs. Regularly incorporating these into your family's diet can make a noticeable difference in mood and energy levels.

  
  

• Choose whole grains over white flour products. Whole grains help to reduce anxiety because they contain calming nutrients including magnesium, a mineral that is often deficient in the diet. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates that give us healthy energy while reducing hunger…these are both so important in reducing anxiety. They also help regulate blood sugar levels, preventing the energy crashes that can contribute to irritability and stress. Look for whole grain choices when it comes to breads, pastas, crackers, and other staple foods.

• Eat high quality, lean protein. Healthy protein is so important as one of the good mood foods. We need protein not only because it helps to regulate our blood sugar, but because protein contains amino acids that make up the chemicals our brains need to regulate our thoughts, feelings, and moods. Protein also helps to keep our energy levels stable throughout the day, preventing mood swings caused by energy dips. Chicken, turkey and other lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and beans are some excellent sources of protein.

• Increase soluble fiber foods in the diet. Soluble fiber helps to regulate blood sugar levels as it slows the absorption of sugar into the blood. Preventing those spikes and dips in blood sugar helps to regulate our moods. Soluble fiber also supports gut health, which is closely linked to mental well-being through the gut-brain connection. Some good mood foods that are especially high in soluble fiber are oatmeal, beans, peas, citrus fruits, strawberries, and apples.

  
  

• Embrace those color foods! Fruits and vegetables are so important because they are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that we know support our good health. Superfoods like blueberries, avocado, and leafy greens are not only powerhouses for our physical bodies, but they are wonderful, good mood foods as well. These colorful foods also help to fight oxidative stress, which can negatively impact brain function and contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression.

  
  

• Drink plenty of pure, clean water every day. Water is the most important nutrient and it makes up roughly about 70% of our bodies. Dehydration can affect us in many ways including our emotional stability. Even mild dehydration can lead to irritability, fatigue, and difficulty focusing, which can contribute to anxiety. Getting adequate amounts of water as one of our good mood 'foods' is a key helper to regulate mood and curb anxiety.

  
  

When feeling stressed or anxious, try eating almonds, broccoli, brown rice, kale, or poultry (you can sneak almond butter or kale into a smoothie or colorful ‘milkshake’ for your picky eater). And try to minimize white bread, candy, cookies, and fast food when you're trying to support a healthy mood and reduce anxiety for your kids and yourself. Opting for these nutrient-dense foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels and provide the essential vitamins and minerals needed for emotional balance and overall well-being.

In addition to these mood-boosting foods for kids and families to reduce anxiety, other helpers for balancing out our moods include getting good sleep, exercising, sunshine, listening to music, deep breathing and as simple as it sounds…smiling. Taking small moments throughout the day to engage in these activities can create a cumulative effect that supports emotional well-being for you and your family, helping reduce stress and anxiety over time.

You may also like these related posts:

5 Tips for Helping Kids Cope with Social Anxiety

Sensory Issues and Anxiety: Navigating the Overlap for Kids

Managing Anxiety in Kids: Effective Strategies to Help Your Child Cope

All blog content shared through HealthSmart! Kids is for informational purposes only and not to be construed as medical advice. Always talk with your qualified health care provider for managing your health care needs.