'You are what you eat' is a cliché for a reason, and no one knows it better than MuscleFood.

The food that we consume impacts not only our physical health but our mental and emotional well-being which is why the online food retailer has produced an easy-to-follow guide. 

Whether you want to learn more about nutrition or you're feeling inspired to take charge of your eating habits, these tips will come in handy.

“The best thing that you can do to positively impact your mood with food, is to eat a balanced diet, including a variety of all food groups and plenty of vitamins and minerals, which will ensure you’re getting the right nutrients to facilitate a better mood pattern," Vic Coppin, Nutrition Expert at MuscleFood recommended. 


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Here are the foods that we can incorporate into our diets to help us feel a little healthier and happier.

6 foods that will help boost your mood

These are the 6 top foods that, according to MuscleFood, you should be eating to fuel your mind:

  • Fatty fish such as salmon
  • Dark chocolate
  • Bananas 
  • Oats 
  • Berries 
  • Beans and lentils 

You can browse its meal plans, prepped meals or build your own box via the MuscleFood website.

The vitamins that will boost your mood

Salisbury Journal: Vegetable bowl. Credit: MuscleFoodVegetable bowl. Credit: MuscleFood

The food retailer suggests that you get some mood-boosting vitamins and micronutrients into your diet.

We need different vitamins for different things for everything from fueling your brain to improving your mood.

For example, we need Vitamin B "to promote brain function and help to boost your mood," according to Coppin. 

You can get your Vitamin B from lots of different sources like dairy, eggs, red meats, poultry, fish and some dark green leafy vegetables.

Then there's Vitamin D which is widely recognised as the one we get from sunlight which is not so easy to absorb from the unpredictable UK weather!

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Coppin recommends bringing Vitamin D rich food into your diet to make up for this.

It couldn't be easier to do, start with adding egg yolks, salmon, sardines and cod liver oil to your meal plan.

You can also use some plant milks and yoghurts which are fortified with it. 

Over the winter months, we Brits should be taking a supplement of 10 micrograms daily which you should continue if you are inside regularly during the summer. 

The balanced macronutrients that should be in your diet

Salisbury Journal: Granola. Credit: MuscleFoodGranola. Credit: MuscleFood

MuscleFood also recommends fueling up on macronutrient carbohydrates which you can find in plenty of foods on your shopping list already.

You should eat a balanced amount of this food group, regularly throughout the day including in the form of oats, fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Eating them regularly can help to control and manage your blood sugar levels and energy.

“Keeping energy levels consistent, with minimal peaks and dips is important for controlling a constant good mood," Coppin advised.

They continued: "If you are missing meals and leaving large gaps between feeds, and then opting for something very high in sugar (carbohydrates) and not much else, you will find your mood may go from one extreme to the other.”