Can you eat your way to a happier you?

Could the food on your plate help you fight the winter blues?

Do you feel the need to fight the winter blues? Luckily some simple food swaps can help to lift the mood. While nothing is a miracle bite, choosing better food options and focusing on healthy eating can be a start to making those winter doldrums seem less depressing.

Many people subscribe to the idea that you are what you eat. Although healthy eating often spikes at the beginning of the year, those food habits aren’t limited to just one time-frame. As more people look for natural methods, eating to fight the winter blues seems like a good for you choice.

This year more people seem to be having the winter blues. As people have to stay more socially distant, the feelings of isolation are adding to the seasonal issues. With less daylight, people can feel that the dark cloud can be looming a little too long.

Recently, The Beet shared some food suggestions to fight the winter blues. The article suggests five types of food that can help fight the winter blues. Those foods include: “folate-rich foods, fibrous foods, iron-rich foods, nuts and seeds, and fermented foods.”

Looking at this list of foods, it can be easy to create a single dish or recipe with all those five ingredients. One easy meal would be a salad For example, a leafy greens salad with strawberries with some walnuts ticks off many of those five ingredients. Pairing that salad with a yogurt dressing could basically cover all those foods.

Also, some bowls would be a great choice. For example, an Asian inspired bowl with some quinoa, kimchi and tofu would make for a great dinner.

Basically, adding food that beat the winter blues to any meal plan is easy. From quick pickle on that plant-based burger to a few chia seeds in that smoothie, the options are many.

More importantly, it shows that any recipe can get a boost from healthy eating options. Even that favorite comfort food recipe can get an ingredient upgrade. From an extra serving of broccoli in that soup to some berries on top of that morning oatmeal, any recipe can benefit from some ingredients that can beat the winter blues.

What simple ingredients swaps do you make to boost your mood? Do you try to eat better to feel better?