How to Fight Stress with Food
Include lean protein in your diet., Manage your carbs., Finish your fish., Eat lots of leafy greens., Enjoy some berries for a snack., Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Include lean protein in your diet.
You can fight stress with food if you include healthy protein in your meals and snacks.
The amino acid tryptophan is found in high-protein foods and helps your body make serotonin which helps you feel calmer and happier.Foods like turkey, fish, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans and eggs are high in protein and tryptophan.
Start your day off right by having a high-protein breakfast of egg whites or oatmeal.
When you are craving a snack, try something like a handful of almonds and a thin slice of turkey breast.
Swap out high-fat meats and cooking styles.
Instead of making fried chicken, try breaded, oven-baked chicken breast.
Try to limit proteins that are high in saturated fat like red meats and whole milk. -
Step 2: Manage your carbs.
Many comfort foods, like sweets, mashed potatoes, breads, and pasta are carbohydrates.
You want to limit your intake of simple carbohydrates because they are mostly just sugar; however, to fight your stress with food, you do want to eat complex carbs because they help your body make serotonin.Include whole grains like oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads in your meals.
Swap brown rice for white rice and choose whole wheat or corn tortillas instead of flour.
Eat sweet potatoes, corn, and beans when you feel like you need a comfort food.
Try to avoid eating lots of foods high in sugar and corn syrup.
They can give you a brief energy boost, but it doesn’t last and these foods can hurt you more than they help.
For example, limit your cookies, cakes, and other sweets. , Most seafood contain omega-3 fatty acids which has been found to reduce anxiety and stress hormones like cortisol.If you are trying to fight stress with food, make sure you are including plenty of fish in your diet.
Not all seafood contains omega-3 fatty acids but fatty fish like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines do.Try to have fatty fish at least twice a week.
Foods like chia seeds and walnuts are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and are great for snacking. , These vegetables are packed with folate which helps your brain make the chemical dopamine.Dopamine, in turn, helps you feel calmer and happier.
They also contain magnesium which can help improve your mood.Make sure you are getting enough leafy greens to fight your stress with food.
Try adding vegetables like kale, collard greens, turnip greens, rapini, romaine lettuce, and spinach to your regular diet.
If you aren’t a big salad eater, try adding leafy greens to a smoothie.
They don’t change the taste of the smoothie and give you nutrients you might miss otherwise. , It’s hard to fight stress when you aren’t physically well or lack energy.
Berries can help you fight stress because they contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that boost your immune system, so regularly grab a handful.Add fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries to your whole-grain cereal or oatmeal for breakfast.
Put some berries on the top of your salad to give it an extra kick of flavor and nutrition. , While alcohol and caffeine can both temporarily make you feel less stressed (although in different ways), both of these can do much more harm than good.
In order to fight stress with food, limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you are consuming.
Alcohol use can lead to you making bad decisions in the moment that can actually add to your overall stress.
Caffeinated beverages can give you a boost, but can also leave you feeling too ‘wired’ to get the rest you need.
Instead, drink plenty of water to combat your feelings of stress. -
Step 3: Finish your fish.
-
Step 4: Eat lots of leafy greens.
-
Step 5: Enjoy some berries for a snack.
-
Step 6: Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Detailed Guide
You can fight stress with food if you include healthy protein in your meals and snacks.
The amino acid tryptophan is found in high-protein foods and helps your body make serotonin which helps you feel calmer and happier.Foods like turkey, fish, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans and eggs are high in protein and tryptophan.
Start your day off right by having a high-protein breakfast of egg whites or oatmeal.
When you are craving a snack, try something like a handful of almonds and a thin slice of turkey breast.
Swap out high-fat meats and cooking styles.
Instead of making fried chicken, try breaded, oven-baked chicken breast.
Try to limit proteins that are high in saturated fat like red meats and whole milk.
Many comfort foods, like sweets, mashed potatoes, breads, and pasta are carbohydrates.
You want to limit your intake of simple carbohydrates because they are mostly just sugar; however, to fight your stress with food, you do want to eat complex carbs because they help your body make serotonin.Include whole grains like oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads in your meals.
Swap brown rice for white rice and choose whole wheat or corn tortillas instead of flour.
Eat sweet potatoes, corn, and beans when you feel like you need a comfort food.
Try to avoid eating lots of foods high in sugar and corn syrup.
They can give you a brief energy boost, but it doesn’t last and these foods can hurt you more than they help.
For example, limit your cookies, cakes, and other sweets. , Most seafood contain omega-3 fatty acids which has been found to reduce anxiety and stress hormones like cortisol.If you are trying to fight stress with food, make sure you are including plenty of fish in your diet.
Not all seafood contains omega-3 fatty acids but fatty fish like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines do.Try to have fatty fish at least twice a week.
Foods like chia seeds and walnuts are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and are great for snacking. , These vegetables are packed with folate which helps your brain make the chemical dopamine.Dopamine, in turn, helps you feel calmer and happier.
They also contain magnesium which can help improve your mood.Make sure you are getting enough leafy greens to fight your stress with food.
Try adding vegetables like kale, collard greens, turnip greens, rapini, romaine lettuce, and spinach to your regular diet.
If you aren’t a big salad eater, try adding leafy greens to a smoothie.
They don’t change the taste of the smoothie and give you nutrients you might miss otherwise. , It’s hard to fight stress when you aren’t physically well or lack energy.
Berries can help you fight stress because they contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that boost your immune system, so regularly grab a handful.Add fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries to your whole-grain cereal or oatmeal for breakfast.
Put some berries on the top of your salad to give it an extra kick of flavor and nutrition. , While alcohol and caffeine can both temporarily make you feel less stressed (although in different ways), both of these can do much more harm than good.
In order to fight stress with food, limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you are consuming.
Alcohol use can lead to you making bad decisions in the moment that can actually add to your overall stress.
Caffeinated beverages can give you a boost, but can also leave you feeling too ‘wired’ to get the rest you need.
Instead, drink plenty of water to combat your feelings of stress.
About the Author
Robert Cook
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: