Nourishing the Brain: The Connection Between Mood and Food

Apr 19

2 min read

The Connection Between the Brain & Gut

Did you know that serotonin, one of the brain’s most powerful chemicals, is mostly made in your gut? According to Harvard Medical, 95% of serotonin is made right in your digestive system. This means that a healthy gut filled with nutritious foods—like colorful fruits and vegetables, probiotic-rich foods, and whole grains—can directly impact your mood and mental well-being. Food can help your brain work better, keep your energy steady, and even help you feel happy.

Eating for a Healthy Brain & Mood

Liz Poe, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with nearly 20 years of experience, says there are lots of ways kids can begin eating healthy, right now!

Families can limit the intake of packaged and processed foods by swapping store-bought snacks with homemade goodies. Processed, packaged, and sugary foods can affect the balance of brain chemicals, so limiting them is always best!

Simple Health Hacks

Eat the Rainbow! Aim for 5 different colored fruits/vegetables a day.
Find snack brands that have minimal ingredients/added sugar.
Limit snacks to a certain time of day.

Cooking at Home

Parents and children can make recipes together while focusing on healthier sweeteners like pure maple syrup, raw honey, dates, and coconut sugar. A child is more likely to eat something they help prepare!

Nurse Poe’s Practical Tools for Parents

Supporting Mood Through Making Snacks and Desserts at Home – Control ingredients by using healthier sweeteners like pure maple syrup, raw honey, dates, or coconut sugar, and avoid added sugar, food dyes, and preservatives.
Real Food Matters! Feeding children a whole-foods diet, low in processed foods, can optimize their behavior, energy, digestion, skin, and immune system.
Pair Carbs with Protein or Fat – Avoid “naked carbs” to stabilize blood sugar and support steady energy and mood.
Carbohydrate Control can help maintain balanced blood sugar levels and decrease symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression.
Include Probiotic-rich Foods – Kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, and kombucha support a healthy gut, which impacts mood and digestion.
Plan and Prep Snacks – Batch-cook homemade goodies to last 1–2 weeks, and limit snacks to 1–2 times per day.