Want to know which food has the biggest impact on your mood? You could be forgiven for saying ‘fish’. We hear a lot about how the omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish are good for depression. and that’s not false – they are.ⁱ

But we really hit pay dirt with fruit and vegetables – for both depression and happiness. Studies show that eating more fruit and vegetables is associated with greater happiness across a wide age-group, from teens to men in their nineties.ⁱⁱ But association doesn’t equal cause. It could be that people who feel happy eat a healthier diet (although research hasn’t found this to be the case so far).ⁱⁱⁱ

The more important finding is that eating more fruit and vegetables is followed by greater psychological well-being over time. Not just happiness, but a long list of other positive outcomes increase, including optimism, self-efficacy, quality of life, vitality, flourishing, curiosity, creativity, mental well-being, life satisfaction, engagement, purpose, meaning in life and motivation.^iv Which is what we want!

And the good feelings go up the more you eat. Each extra serving increases well-being by a significant amount. But to make a meaningful change in positive emotions a total of seven to eight servings per day are required.^v

The impact isn’t small – one study found the change in life satisfaction for changing diet was equal to that of someone who is unemployed finding work, which has a major impact on mental health.^vi The impact on well-being of eating fruit and veg is greater than exercise.^vii If only chocolate had the same effect, I hear you cry. Good news! One study found that a cocoa supplement increased calm and contentedness compared to no supplement.^viii But I think we all knew that already.

Do these foods also pack a big punch for depression? The answer is pretty clear. Eating more fruit and vegetables takes depression down. Along with fiber, this has a greater impact on depression than eating more fish or reducing red meat, fatty meat or cholesterol intake.^ix This holds true even when controlling for other factors, such as age, gender, or social and financial circumstances.^x Eating a diverse range of vegetables also helps,^xi as does eating them raw rather than processed (although processed, such as cooked or tinned, is better than none)^xii.

So to sum up – if you want to feel happier, eat more fruit and vegetables, particularly raw. Eat a diverse range with lots of red and orange colors. You can go as high as eight servings a day – the higher you go, the more your mood will benefit. And it works quickly – you’ll feel the impact from as soon as a day later.

iReduces Depression recent Appleton K M, Rogers P J and Ness A R (2010) Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of N− 3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Depressed Mood, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91(3): 757-770; Deacon G, Kettle C, Hayes D, Dennis and Tucci J (2017) omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Treatment of Depression, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(1): 212-223; Hallahan B, Ryan T, Hibbeln J R, Murray I T, Glynn S, Ramsden C E … and Davis J M (2016) Efficacy of Omega-3 Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Depression.,The British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(3): 192-201; Liao Y, Xie B, Zhang H, He Q, Guo L, Subramaniapillai M … and Mclntyer R S (2019) Efficacy of Omega-3 PUFAs in Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Translational Psychiatry, 9(1): 1-9; Lin P Y and Su K P (2007) A Meta-Analytic Review of Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials of Antidepressant Efficacy of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68(7): 1056-1061; Yang J R, Han D, Qiao Z X, Tian X, Qi D, and Qiu X H (2015) Combined Application of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Depression in Women: A Meta-Analysis of Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trials, Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 11: 2055.

iiEating f/v asscod w greater happiness Blanchflower D G, Oswald A J and Stewart-Brown S (2013) Is Psychological Well-Being Linked to the Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables? Social Indicators Research, 114(3); young people Brookie K L, Best G I and Conner T S (2018) Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables is Associated with Better Mental Health than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 487; Jyvakorpi S K, Urtamo A, Pitkälä K H and Strandberg T E (2018) Happiness of the Oldest-Old Men is Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Intakes, European Geriatric Medicine, 9(5); 687-690; uni students Lesani A, Mohammadpoorasl A, Javadi M, Esfeh J M and Fakhari A (2016) Eating Breakfast, Fruit and Vegetable Intake and their Relation with Happiness in College Students, Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 21(4): 645-651.

iiiHappier people eat more f/v Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

ivMore f and v leads to greater happiness over time Conner T S, Brookie K L, Richardson, A.C and Polak M A (2015) On Carrots and Curiosity: Eating Fruit and Vegetables is Associated with Greater Flourishing in Daily Life, British Journal of Health Psychology, 20(2): 413-427; Conner T S, Brookie K L, Carr A C, Mainvil L A and Vissers M C (2017) Let Them Eat Fruit! The Effect of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Psychological Well-Being in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial, PloS One, 12(2): e0171206; ADVentist church Ford P A, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Lee J W, Youngberg W and Tonstad S (2013) Intake of Mediterranean Foods Associated with Positive Affect and Low Negative Affect, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(2): 142-148; Głąbska D, Guzek D, Groele B and Gutkowska K (2020) Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review, Nutrients, 12(1): 115; Mujcic R and J Oswald A (2016) Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness after Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables, American Journal of Public Health, 106(8): 1504-1510; Ocean N, Howley P and Ensor J (2018) Lettuce Be Happy: The Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Subjective Well-Being in the UK, Leeds University Business School Working Paper, (18-12); Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211; White B A, Horwath C C and Conner T S (2013) Many Apples a Day Keep the Blues Away – Daily Experiences of Negative and Positive Affect and Food Consumption in Young Adults, British Journal of Health Psychology, 18(4): 782-798.

v F/v greater than exercise Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

viImpact of f/v on life satisf as great as finding work Mujcic R and J Oswald A (2016) Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness after Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables, American Journal of Public Health, 106(8): 1504-1510.

vii F/v greater than exercise Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

viiiCocoa calm contentedness Pase M P, Scholey A B, Pipingas A, Kras M, Nolidin K, Gibbs A … and Stough C (2013) Cocoa Polyphenols Enhance Positive Mood States but not Cognitive Performance: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(5): 451-458, in Bear T L K, Dalziel J E, Coad J, Roy N C, Butts C A and Gopal P K (2020) The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Dietary Interventions for Depression and Anxiety, Advances in Nutrition, 11(4): 890-907.

ixMore fruit and veg lead to less depression Blanchflower D G, Oswald A J and Stewart-Brown S (2013) Is Psychological Well-Being Linked to the Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables? Social Indicators Research, 114(3): 785-801; Brookie K L, Best G I and Conner T S (2018) Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables is Associated with Better Mental Health than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 487; Carr A C, Pullar J M and Vissers M C (2013) Beating the Blues -The Association between Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Improved Mood, The New Zealand Medical Journal, 126: 131-132; Ford P A, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Lee J W, Youngberg W and Tonstad S (2013) Intake of Mediterranean FoodsAssociated with Positive Affect and Low Negative Affect, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(2): 142-148; Głąbska D, Guzek D, Groele B and Gutkowska K (2020) Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review, Nutrients, 12(1): 115; Huang Q, Liu H, Suzuki K, Ma, S and Liu C (2019) Linking What we Eat to our Mood: A Review of Diet, Dietary Antioxidants and Depression. Antioxidants, 8(9): 376; Liu X, Yan Y, Li F and Zhang D (2016) Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and the Risk of Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Nutrition, 32: 296–302; McMartin S E, Jacka F N and Colman I (2013) The Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mental Health Disorders: Evidence from Five Waves of a National Survey of Canadians, Preventive Medicine, 56(3-4): 225-230; Opie R S, O’Neil A, Itsiopoulos C and Jacka F N (2015) The Impact of Whole-of-Diet Interventions on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials, Public Health Nutrition, 18(11): 2074-2093; Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

xImpact of f/v holds true controlling for other factors Blanchflower D G, Oswald A J and Stewart-Brown S (2013) “Is Psychological Well-Being Linked to the Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables?” Social Indicators Research, 114(3); McMartin S E, Jacka F N and Colman I (2013) The Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mental Health Disorders: Evidence from Five Waves of a National Survey of Canadians, Preventive Medicine, 56(3-4): 225-230; 225-230; Tuck N J, Farrow C and Thomas J M (2019) Assessing the Effects of Vegetable Consumption on the Ppsychological Health of Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Prospective Research, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1): 196-211.

xiDiverse range of veges Parletta N, Zarnowiecki D, Cho J, Wilson A, Bogomolova S, Villani A, Itsiopoulos C, Niyonsanga T, Blunden S, Segal L et al (2019) A Mediterranean-Style Dietary Intervention Supplemented with Fish Oil improves Diet Quality and Mental Health in People with Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial (HELFIMED), Nutritional Neuroscience, 22: 474–487.

xiiRaw rather than processed Brookie K L, Best G I and Conner T S (2018) Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables is Associated with Better Mental Health than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables, Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 487.