Happy Meals

So Mondays are typically the bluest day of the week. Unless you’re one of those who get Mondays off, then you should come back tomorrow when your week actually starts and you’re feeling a little blue.

That’s because today is all about happy meals, and by that, I mean food that will help you feel happy after you eat them.

We’ve long known that food can act as mood enhancers but if you’re like me, you’re probably tired of hearing people asking you to eat chocolate to feel better. Well, yay for endorphins and the resulting sugar high but really, they’re not the ones whose bottoms are getting alarmingly large from eating all that chocolate. Let’s just say that my happiness level is inversely proportionate to the size of my bottom.

Instead, what you need is food that will make you feel better instantly and also in the long run because you won’t have to add an extra 10 laps to your daily workout routine.

1. Skim Milk

Milk is the first thing we all drink the moment we’re born, which should mean that it’s good for us. Besides, all those happy babies can’t be wrong, can they? Apparently, how it works is that it contains tryptophan, a type of amino acid the brain needs to produce serotonin, a natural chemical that makes us feel relaxed and happy. Milk is also a good source of antioxidants, vitamins D and B12 that ward of stress and even aging. And with skim milk, you get all the nutrients of whole milk without the fats – that’s a win-win situation.

2 Bananas

Have you ever noticed how monkeys are happy all the time? They spend their day clapping and make happy sounds and it seems the secret to that is bananas. Like milk, bananas have tryptophan (remember the serotonin and happiness?) and carbohydrates to bolster your energy as well as keep you alert. The potassium it contains also helps to normalize the heartbeat, send oxygen to the brain and regulate the body’s water balance. Generally, stress reduces your potassium levels so a high-potassium banana snack will do wonder to even things out a little.

3. Spinach

Spinach makes it to our list of happy foods because it is rich in folic acid, an important ingredient in making seratonin. If you need more proof, just look at Popeye. One can of spinach and he’s got enough energy to beat the living daylights out of Bluto and get the girl, which is of course, plenty reason to be a happy camper.

4. Salmon

If there’s one kind of fat you need to eat, it’s the Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon. Good fat may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s totally not. According to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburg, people with higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids running through their veins are usually happier, less impulsive, and generally more agreeable. As an added bonus, it is also associated with other positive effects on your body such as decreased risk of colon cancer, dementia and stroke.

5. Coffee

Well ok, coffee doesn’t technically make you feel happier but it’s got caffeine, which keeps you awake and alert. For a Monday, that’s almost as important as feeling happy.