Mood-boosting Breakfast Ideas To Put You In A Great Mood for the rest of the day!

We all know that breakfast is the most important part of the day. And my previous post, Top 10 Everyday Foods to Boost Your Energy, gives you some ideas on what to eat for breakfast to boost your energy. This post focuses on the best mood-boosting breakfast foods to help make sure you start your day as you mean to go on!

Mood-boosting breakfast foods

Below are my top five mood-boosting foods that are great to eat for breakfast to help lift your spirits, even on a dull January morning. I’ve avoided the more “exotic” candidates for the list in favour of sticking to what you are likely to have in your cupboard already or can easily get hold off.

1. Oats

My previous blog post extolled the virtues of oats in maintaining blood sugar levels. This is not only important for your energy but also for your mood, helping prevent the “hangry” version of you surfacing due to a drop in blood sugar.

Oats help increase levels of tryptophan, which is involved in the production of serotonin, our body’s own natural form of anti-depressant. They also contain selenium, another mood-boosting nutrient.

2. Bananas

Another great energy booster, bananas also make it on the mood-boosting list due to their tryptophan and Vitamin B6 content. Tryptophan we have already mentioned but Vitamin B6 is required to convert tryptophan into serotonin.

So topping your choice of cereal or, even better, bowl of porridge, with sliced banana is an easy way to kick-start your mood in the morning. And grabbing a banana is good option for when you’ve running out the door having fed and watered various children and pets but run out of time to feed yourself!

3. Nuts

Nuts are another great source of various mood-boosting nutrients. Brazil Nuts contain selenium, magnesium and zinc, with both magnesium deficiency and zinc deficiency having been linked depression. Almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts and walnuts all contain tryptophan. And walnuts in particular are a great source of Omega-3, shown to help improve your mood.

Nuts are also an easy one to incorporate into your breakfast – simply throw a handful of nuts or nutty granola onto of your porridge, spread some nut butter on your toast or opt for a nutty variety of cereal or muesli.

4. Berries

Berries are a healthy way to add a touch of sweetness to your breakfast without causing a blood sugar spike. Blueberries in particular have been shown to have a positive effect on mood, due to their high levels of flavonoids. But any berries, with their high anti-oxidant levels, are a great addition to your breakfast.

5. Dark Chocolate

Mood-Boosting Breakfast Ideas - chocolate

Yes, I really have included dark chocolate for breakfast! Dark chocolate encourages the production of endorphins, which create feelings of pleasure. It also contains serotonin as well as a few other mood-boosting properties.

So try adding some dark chocolate chips to your porridge or a spoonful of cacao to your breakfast smoothie. You don’t need much to reap the benefit and dark is better than milk chocolate so this is not an excuse to crack open that family-sized bar of Dairy Milk for breakfast!

I think simply the fact that you are eating chocolate for breakfast is enough to put anyone in a good mood!

Mood-boosting breakfast drinks

So what should you be drinking with your breakfast? Should you be giving up my morning cup of coffee if you want to put yourself in a better mood? You may be surprised to learn that the answer is actually “not necessarily”. The caffeine in coffee encourages the release of neurotransmitters, including mood-boosting dopamine. And so is a great pick-me-up in all senses of the word.

But if you would prefer an alternative to coffee, green tea is a good choice due to its L-theanine content, an amino acid which can help fight anxiety.

And I would be remiss not to include water on the list because even mild dehydration can cause a drop in your mood – another reason to try to hit those eight glasses a day.