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The Not-Sad Smoothie

Food Mood Girl Lindsey Smith turns to nourishing ingredients (such as leafy vegetables) instead of processed foods to shake herself out of a funk—and she shares dozens of her satisfying recipes in her new book Eat Your Feelings: The Food Mood Girl's Guide to Transforming Your Emotional Eating. Science backs this up: A study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine found that optimism was associated with greater carotenoid concentrations—and you'd be hard-pressed to find a food with more carotenoids (such as lutein and beta-carotene) than kale. Smith's tasty smoothie contains a big handful of the star ingredient together with blueberries and cacao (minimally processed chocolate). Blend them together with water or almond milk and you've got a delicious morning pick-me-up.

Get the recipe: Moody Blues Smoothie

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The Exhausted-No-More Breakfast Bowl

The last thing you may want to do when you're tired and hungry is cook. But keep some cooked quinoa on hand and you'll never be more than three minutes away from this warming and renewing breakfast from Smith's book. You simply mix heated quinoa with cinnamon and almond butter, top with blueberries and add honey and almond milk to taste. The spice will boost your senses, and the quinoa, a carbohydrate, can help your brain produce serotonin, which plays an important role in affecting mood. Plus, the "super grain" is a complex carb, so it takes longer to digest, making it a sort of "time-release" energizer.

Get the recipe: Happy Quinoa Bowl

Photo: Sarah VanTassel

A Sweet Slice of Happiness

If the smell of freshly baked bread doesn't put a smile on your face, the ingredients included in this healthy loaf from Eat Your Feelings might. It begins with a mixture of almond flour and chia seeds, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids that are linked to mood, and sweetened with low glycemic-index maple syrup. Enjoy a slice on its own or with your favorite topping (think: raspberry jam or avocado and sea salt).

Get the recipe: Almond Chia Bread

Photo: Sarah VanTassel

A "Quiche" Packed with Lots of Good Stuff

Smith's inventive "quiche" has a unique crust made not from traditional flour, but from thinly sliced potatoes for a delicious gluten-free twist to the a.m. meal. And carbs, gluten-free or not, as you'll recall, can boost serotonin levels, which help to regulate mood. There's also a cup of kale (hello, carotenoids) and six eggs—which are a great source of protein to keep you full and satiated, and mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids.

Get the recipe: Potato Quiche

Photo: Sarah VanTassel

The Baked Good That'll Cheer You Up

Smith's spicy sharp cheddar-jalapeño scones are just the ticket if you're feeling blah. Besides being a refreshing change to your everyday breakfast flavors, there's even a connection between jalapeños and good mood. And if you needed one more reason to give these savory bites a whirl, it turns out they're actually way healthier than a typical scone, with whole-grain flour taking the place of the usual white, and Greek yogurt in for half-and-half.

Get the recipe: Cheddar and Jalapeño Scones

Published 01/04/2018