When feeling stressed or depressed, most people tend to reach for one particular sweet treat: ice cream. Ice cream has been proven to reduce stress because it is primarily made of milk which contains a serotonin increasing amino acid called L-tryptophan. Along with L-tryptophan, ice cream also contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates and some vitamins such as vitamin K that make people feel better and give them more energy. However, ice cream is generally not very healthy for the body as it contains a lot of sugar and sweeteners, which can cause things like weight gain and diabetes if you do not monitor your proportions. Fortunately, there are many foods that will lessen anxious feelings without hurting a person’s physical health. 

One of the best healthy stress reducing foods is the pitted green fruit known as an Avocado. Being high in Vitamin B, avocados are great to eat to reduce anxiety. They are full of natural chemicals such as serotonin, which improves your mood and decreases the risk of an anxiety disorder. They can be eaten in many different ways, from being on burgers and toast to being eaten on their own as a quick snack. Another amazing food choice for anxiety is yogurt. Unlike ice cream, some yogurt doesn’t contain added sugars and sweeteners, so it is a much healthier option. It is best to eat plain yogurt to avoid these artificial sweeteners, and possibly mix in berries and nuts to add flavor, crunch, and extra vitamins. Eating yogurt for breakfast every day is proven to increase your health.                

For smaller and more snackable foods, nuts and berries are perfect to munch on for stress. Two foods from these categories that are highly suggested are brazil nuts and blueberries. Brazil nuts are a fantastic snack for people experiencing stress since they contain the element selenium. Selenium helps reduce stress by protecting your cells and keeping free radicals stable. Free radicals are molecules or atoms that can operate with an unpaired electron. Just like pistachios, brazil nuts come in bags and some are unshelled. Blueberries, among other berries, are known to help with anxiety. Blueberries may be small, but they contain a large amount of vitamin C which is shown to improve moods and reduce stress. Other berries, such as strawberries and blackberries, are also great sources of vitamin C. Berries can be eaten in many ways, a great way being putting them in yogurt.

There are many more healthy foods that provide the same service such as fish, broccoli, carrots, and bananas. However, the foods listed previously are higher on most lists and easier to snack on. Eating any of these items is bound to make your stress lower and your day just a little easier. They are also very healthy options opposed to everyone’s favorite, ice cream. Now, when reaching for the container of ice cream, consider grabbing a yogurt or avocado instead.