Eat Your Way To Calm: The Best And Worst Foods For Stress Management

Food as a Response to Stress and Its Influence

February is Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month, the perfect time to take stock of our behaviors and the toll they take on our health. Diet is one of the most important aspects of lifestyle choices we can make that profoundly impact our mental and physical health. What we eat influences our energy levels, physical health, stress levels, and mood.

Recent research by Pharma Dynamics reveals a worrisome truth: in South Africa, stress has increased by 56% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of this increase in stress, many people have found comfort in food, with an astonishing 81% of people stating they reach for unhealthy foods for comfort. Though it may be soothing in the short run, such emotional eating can have long-term negative effects on health, leading to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Chronic stress can compromise the immune system and jam up digestion, and it can lead to mood disorders like anxiety and depression, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) advises. All these risks mean it’s important to know how food can both help mitigate stress and exacerbate it.

So, here are the best and worst foods to eat when we are stressed, and an introduction to how dietary choices can support the mind.

Healthy Foods for When You’re Stressed

Not all comfort foods are unhealthy. Some of these foods are loaded with important nutrients that help our brains work properly, fight anxiety, and improve the general state of being. The following are the best foods to add to your diet when under stress:

Dark Chocolate

A square of high (70% or higher) dark chocolate may help moderate stress hormones (like cortisol) and stimulate serotonin, the hormone for happiness and relaxation. Dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants, which enhance your brain function and boost your mood. The moderate consumption of dark chocolate has contributed to lower levels of stress and an overall decrease in mental disorders (source 3, source 4).

Fatty Fish

Fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and fortify mental health. According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, omega-3s can reduce anxiety and aggressiveness (up to 42 percent). These healthy fats also assist in regulating neurotransmitters that affect mood and stress reactions. Incorporating fatty fish into your diet at least twice a week is a wonderful way to promote mental health!

Avocados

This high-energy fruit, which is generously filled with B vitamins, aids the brain in its activity and helps us cope with our stress. The B vitamins help regulate the nervous system, reducing anxiety and fatigue. Avocados contain healthy fats that keep you full and energetic, staving off cravings and fluctuations associated with a stressful mood.

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are good sources of magnesium, a mineral that can help regulate cortisol levels. Simultaneously, low magnesium levels have been associated with stress and anxiety. Nuts and seeds, too, provide protein and healthy fats that will stabilize blood sugar and avoid energy crashes.

Rooibos Tea

This South African herb tea is naturally caffeine-free and contains tons of antioxidants that relieve stress. Rooibos also boasts aspalathin—a compound that has been shown to lower stress hormones and promote relaxation. A cup of rooibos tea sipped at night can calm the nervous system and enhance sleep quality.

Leafy Greens

Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are laden with magnesium, which helps control cortisol and induces a sense of calm. These greens are also loaded with folate, which in turn helps create dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and relaxation.

Probiotic Foods

Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut boast probiotics, which promote gut variety and mind health. Studies have found a connection between a healthy gut microbiome and lower stress levels as well as better mood regulation.

Foods to Avoid When You’re Under Stress

There are, of course, foods that help decrease your stress level, but there are also ones you should avoid. Eating the wrong foods raises cortisol levels, causes energy crashes, and can add to anxiety. Here’s a rundown on some of the worst foods to eat when you’re feeling stressed:

Sugary Snacks and Pastries

Foods that contain refined sugar, such as candies, pastries, and sodas, give you a quick boost of energy, but this is soon followed by a sharp drop. This yo-yo-ing of your blood sugar can make you feel fatigued, cranky, and even more stressed out. Extra sugar also ramps up inflammation in the body, which has been associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

Caffeine Overload

And while a morning cup of coffee might sound enticing, too much caffeine intake can stimulate the body’s nervous system and raise levels of cortisol. Overdoing it on caffeine can also lead to jitters, rapid heart rate, and insomnia—all of which send stress and anxiety levels soaring. To lower caffeine-related stress, try cutting back to one or two cups of coffee daily and minting herbal teas like rooibos in the afternoon and at night.

Processed Foods and Fast Food

Highly processed foods—including instant noodles, frozen meals, and fast food—are often calorie-dense and rich in unhealthy fats, refined carbs, and artificial additives. Inflammatory agents impair cognition and/or mood. When combined with the physically restrictive nature of processed food and high sodium, physical discomfort, and stress may be exacerbated.

Alcohol

While many people drink to relax, high consumption can worsen stress and anxiety. Alcohol thwarts sleep regularity, leaves the body drained, and disrupts brain chemistry, causing mood volatility and rising levels of stress. However, moderation of your alcohol consumption can still be okay for some, but using alcohol as a method for decompressing or coping with stress can damage your long-term mental health.

Fried Foods

Fried foods such as French fries, fried chicken, and potato chips contain trans fats, which promote inflammation and slow digestion. Such foods may worsen the symptoms of stress because they hurt gut health and increase cardiovascular risk.

The take-home: Leafy greens are great for stress…

Diet and stress have an obvious connection. While giving in to comfort food cravings in moments of stress is often logical and defensible, the efficacy of conscious eating choices should not be underestimated in providing powerful benefits for both mental and physical health.

A steady diet of stress-reducing foods — such as dark chocolate, fatty fish, avocado, nuts, and rooibos tea — can nourish your brain functioning and emotional well-being.

In contrast—avoiding sugar snacks, excessive caffeine, processed foods, and alcohol goes a long way toward preventing energy crashes and mood swings that compound stress. So, being mindful of the things you eat helps you adopt a healthier lifestyle and manage stress better.

In the end, a healthy, balanced diet comprised of wholesome foods, healthy fats, and vitamins can help counteract stress and keep you feeling more relaxed, focused, and powerful to face life’s challenges.