We all know that food makes us happy. The relationship between food and comfort is fundamental (hence the term “comfort food”). It goes back to when we were toddlers and breasts and bottles made everything better. As an adult, who doesn't love pizza and beer while binge-watching Netflix on a cold winter night? Who hasn't had a pint of Ben and Jerry's after a breakup or eaten two hamburgers at a tailgate party?
The bad news is that these foods only make you feel happy temporarily. The good news is that there are healthy foods that double as happy foods by increasing your overall well-being.
Let's talk a little science here. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body uses to make proteins, vitamins, and enzymes. It also stimulates the production of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that boosts your mood and sense of well-being, reduces anxiety, improves memory, reduces cravings for sweet and starchy foods, and helps you sleep. Foods high in tryptophan and serotonin increase feelings of well-being. So how can you increase these happy chemicals? Enjoy suggestions for healthy, happy eating based on your eating personality type.
According to research, the foods that make you feel the happiest are:
1. Enthusiastic foodie
The world is your oyster. You love trying new foods, and today's culinary geniuses are happy to oblige. Maybe it's tuna and shellfish like oysters, lobster, scallops, shrimp, or octopus at Mama's Fish House in Maui, or a power lunch at Le Bernardin in New York. Pair these with a side of plantain, date, avocado, and watercress salad, or asparagus, which boosts tryptophan and serotonin. Extra points if the sauce or side contains turmeric, almonds, or pistachios, which also have a euphoric effect.
Perhaps you like wild boar, quail, elk, duck, caribou, and pheasant at Sammy's Wild Game Grill in Houston or Gun Barrel Steak and Game House in Jackson Hole. Order sides of Brussels sprouts, black beans, and cauliflower. It would be a mistake if the recipe included pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, sour cherries, or even cheeses such as Gruyère, Fontina, and Tilsit. These restaurants satisfy your need for adventurous and healthy food while increasing your sense of well-being on a chemical level.
2. I like meat and potatoes
I like to stick to the basics and keep it simple. There's no shame in it! The key here is meat and potatoes. literally. Do you prefer lean beef, chicken, pork, or turkey? How about halibut or cod? Add yams, sweet potatoes, or white potatoes. Make the sauce by adding the garlic, mushrooms and onions.
Pair the main course with a green salad of tomatoes and cucumbers. Make side dishes using broccoli, corn, white beans, kidney beans, and more. Sprinkle with Gouda, Parmesan, Romano, or mozzarella cheese. After dinner, enjoy coffee and desserts made with blueberries, strawberries, oranges, watermelon, and raisins. If I go out to eat, I always go to Outback Steakhouse or Ruth's Chris. A meat and potatoes dinner will satisfy your comfort food cravings and increase your sense of well-being.
3. Health nuts
Your body is your temple and the menu is strictly vegetarian, vegan, organic or raw food. You make an annual pilgrimage to the Moosewood Restaurant in Ishika, New York, which started the vegetarian movement in America in 1973. I keep the Happy Cow app on my phone updated when I travel.
Avoid meat in favor of tofu, tempeh, soybeans, and lentils. You might eat wild-caught salmon on special occasions. Side dishes include vegetables like kale, spinach, turnips or collards.These are all Scientifically proven to have happiness-related benefits.
I love whole grains, oats, wheat germ, brewer's yeast, millet, barley, buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, and rice bran. Sprinkle your food liberally with seeds such as sesame, chia, flax, and sunflower. Maybe you've tried spirulina. I drink green tea and soy milk and choose popcorn with sea salt for dessert. Eating increases your sense of well-being while honoring your commitment to whole foods. Now it's a win-win.
4. Old World Traditionalists
I feel comfort in the food at my grandmother's table. When it comes to eating out, there's nothing better than Cracker Barrel. You love a good country diner. Liver, herring and sardines evoke fond memories. Look for side dishes like lima beans, beets, carrots, celery sticks, squash, cabbage, and mustard greens. All meals include cottage cheese, cantaloupe, or honeydew. A good sauce uses a milk or buttermilk roux flavored with garlic and Swiss or cheddar cheese.
Nothing tastes better than a peanut butter sandwich or hard-boiled egg. My lunch box always includes apples, plums, and bananas. Peanuts or walnuts are a great afternoon snack. Eating satisfies the need to reconnect with emotional memories and increases feelings of well-being in the process.
5. Gourmet food from around the world
You want something unusual, and you go beyond Chinese, Mexican, and Italian food. If you like trying out hidden diners and want black sea bream and okra in New Orleans, you'll probably choose Cope's Place over Commander's Palace because of its unique atmosphere. For Asian cuisine, try crab, seaweed, kelp, kimchi, and mung beans. For Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine, look for clams, goat, chickpeas, kefir, fenugreek, and tahini. For French, it's lapin a la cocotte (rabbit stew). I love dishes that incorporate grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple, yogurt, hickory nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and cacao.
Food satisfies the need to learn about exotic cultures while increasing well-being and worldly interests. Think of healthy eating as a strategy for happiness. Try eating healthy and happy and see how your life improves. Record your score. After incorporating more of these mood-boosting foods into your diet, assess your happiness daily for two to four weeks.
Are you seeing an overall improvement? If so, keep eating happy. And perhaps experiment with other happy food personalities too! If you are managing depression, don't stop taking your medication. However, if your happy eating experiment yields results, show it to your doctor to see what's possible.
Gretchen Martens is an author, speaker, coach, and happiness expert. Her methods are based on her 30 years of eclectic experience as an anthropologist, ontological coach, experiential educator, and improv comedy performer.
