AARP Hearing Center
10 Foods to Help Relieve Stress
Add these to your diet to help calm you and improve your mood
Maria Korneeva
What you eat has a great deal to do with how you feel.
“When you’re under stress, you may crave a glazed donut dipped in sprinkles, but tempting as it is, it won’t help your spirits and will probably leave you feeling grumpy and fatigued,” says nutrition scientist Penny M. Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University. You need calming foods that relieve stress and improve your mood. While a single serving may not change your mood immediately, including these 10 foods in your everyday diet can offer steady support.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
- Related Benefit 2
- Related Benefit 3
- Related Benefit 4
- Related Benefit 5
1. Salmon
When stress begins to wear you down, salmon can help build you back up. Fatty fish like salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help ease symptoms of anxiety and depression and lower levels of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. These fats may also calm inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, which tend to ramp up when you’re under chronic pressure. Omega-3s are important for people over 50 in general, since they may lower your risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, age-related macular degeneration and other conditions. Keep a can or two in the pantry for an easy (and budget-friendly) way to make salmon part of your regular diet, or try Al Roker’s delicious salmon rice bowl recipe.
2. Almonds
Grab a handful of almonds before you rush out the door in the morning, and your day may be more stress-free than you expected. Almonds are a good source of B vitamins, which help the body manage stress. They may also help improve your sleep quality — in one study, participants who ate almonds every day reported falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer than those who didn’t eat them, and they had higher levels of melatonin. Too much stress can trigger poor sleep, and not sleeping well can make life more overwhelming, so improving sleep quality is important for handling and reducing stress. Enjoy almonds with or without the skins. Just know that if you’re watching your weight, you may want to limit yourself to a handful a day, because they’re high in calories.
3. Spinach
This leafy green is a stress-reducing powerhouse. First, it’s a good source of magnesium, a mineral associated with reduced levels of stress and anxiety. According to an article in the journal Nutrients, symptoms of magnesium deficiency are similar to those of stress. Stress can cause magnesium loss, and, in turn, a magnesium deficiency could increase the body’s susceptibility to stress. In addition, the leaves are rich in vitamin C, which the body can’t produce on its own. A lack of vitamin C has been linked to increased stress levels. Spinach also contains an abundance of folate, also called vitamin B9, as do kale, broccoli and cauliflower. Folate supports serotonin production and stimulates the production of dopamine, a brain chemical that helps brain cells communicate with each other and improves mood..
Oscar Wong
4. Avocados
The pale-green flesh beneath the avocado shell is a good source of B vitamins that help produce stress-reducing, mood-boosting brain chemicals. Some of these chemicals help prevent anxiety and relieve irritability. Avocados may help with one key aspect of stress reduction: improved sleep. A 2025 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that people who ate an avocado every day had better quality sleep than people who didn’t. In addition, avocados provide lutein, a nutrient important for brain health and eye health. Lutein improves memory and problem-solving ability. Avocados contain unsaturated fat, the kind usually called good fat, because it can help improve blood cholesterol levels and stabilize heart rhythms. Serve avocado chunks in a colorful salad, or mash the pulp for a buttery spread.
5. Broccoli
When you’re feeling emotional stress, your body’s cells often deal with
oxidative stress, an imbalance of molecules (free radicals and antioxidants) that leads to cell damage and, potentially, disease. Broccoli is packed with vitamin C and a plant compound called sulforaphane, both of which can strengthen your antioxidant defenses and quiet some of that oxidative stress. Recent research in mice has found that sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli may supportn brain and mental health too — it seems to activate the body’s protective pathways. On top of that, broccoli delivers B vitamins like folate, which helps your body produce two of the “happy hormones,”serotonin and dopamine.
6. Red bell peppers
Although oranges are considered the go-to food for vitamin C, red bell peppers contain 50 percent more of this vital nutrient per serving and less than half the sugar. Vitamin C supports the immune system and helps regulate levels of cortisol, the hormone the body releases when under stress. Red bell peppers are also an excellent source of beta-carotene, another nutrient that may help boost your mood. Bell peppers tend to dry out easily, so store them in the vegetable compartment of your fridge, and include a damp paper towel to help prevent moisture loss.
Creativ Studio Heinemann
7. Black-eyed peas
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is said to bring good luck, but these beauties can benefit you throughout the year. These beige beans with a black spot and their relatives — lentils, soybeans, lima beans and peanuts — are a good source of nerve-soothing magnesium, folate and thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine is sometimes called an antistress vitamin because it strengthens the immune system and bolsters the body’s ability to withstand stress. Cooks debate the necessity of soaking black-eyed peas before cooking them (canned ones don’t need to be soaked), but regardless, spread the dried beans on a baking sheet, toss out the shriveled ones and any bits of grit, and you’re good to go.
8. Eggs
Whether you choose to serve them soft-boiled, hard-cooked, scrambled or coddled, eggs benefit your brain and nervous system. People under stress often feel irritable, angry and fatigued. Here’s where the humble egg comes in. An egg yolk is packed with more than 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of tryptophan, an amino acid needed to produce serotonin. In turn, serotonin, a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain, seems to ease stress and promote a sense of calm. Your body also uses tryptophan to make melatonin, which helps you sleep better. Bonus: Egg yolks are also a stellar source of vitamin D, which is linked to protection against memory loss and forgetfulness.
9. Beets
Feeling tense? Adding beets to your plate may help support the body systems that work hardest when you’re under stress. Their deep red color comes from pigments and plant compounds that help quell inflammation, while their naturally occurring nitrates help relax blood vessels and support circulation. Together with fiber, folate and potassium, this mix of nutrients may help your heart and blood vessels cope with the wear and tear of chronic stress. To prepare beets, boil, steam or roast them, and don’t bother peeling. If you’re lucky, you can buy beets with the greens still attached — cut them off and treat them like any other leafy green to get an extra boost of magnesium.
Norbert Kamil Kowaczek / EyeEm
10. Sweet potatoes
These orange gems contain nutrients that support the body’s natural production of serotonin, which can be a mood stabilizer. Researchers note that compounds in sweet potatoes also help lower levels of the hormone cortisol, which is involved in regulating the body’s response to stress. Sweet potatoes also contain magnesium, often considered one of the best minerals for promoting calmness and improving mood. Look for orange-fleshed varieties — they provide beta-carotene, which may help with symptoms of depression.
AARP Membership
Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
More From AARP
6 Foods That May Increase Stress
From your afternoon coffee to your evening wine, these everyday choices can quietly crank up your cortisol
10 Ways Stress Can Affect Your Body
From jaw clenching to brain fog, chronic stress can keep the body on high alert and make recovery harder.
Manage Stress: 25 Tips for People 50-Plus
From scheduling stress and serenity to eating away the inflammation, here are ways to cope