A 'dopamine diet' could hold the key to improving your mood through food

It's the time of year where we're somewhere between feeling motivated to build new, positive habits, and being weighed-down by the trenches of cold weather and dark mornings.

However, it turns out that what we're eating during the next few months and how we feel could be more closely-interlinked than we think.

Sure, we've always been taught that some foods are better for you than others, but now, dopamine diets are becoming more prominent as people prioritise how they feel.

Most of us will agree January is the Monday of the year - so much so that (while unproven) Blue Monday has become synonymous with being the most downbeat day of the year - not least thanks to Christmas payments catching up with us, sub-zero temperatures, and those New Year's resolutions that have likely gone down the drain.

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But, not all is lost, as injecting dopamine through the joy of food is a simple act of self-love we can all participate in to kick the year off on a slightly more positive note.

"Food isn’t a cure for depression, and it will never replace proper mental health support — but certain nutrients do play a direct role in creating the brain chemicals that shape our motivation, pleasure, stress resilience and emotional balance", says Doctify dietician, Katie Sanders.

“Dopamine, serotonin, GABA and noradrenaline don’t appear out of nowhere; the body has to make them, and the raw materials come from our diet.

"For many people, eating patterns that stabilise blood sugar, reduce inflammation and support the gut–brain axis (connection) can noticeably improve mood, energy and emotional steadiness."

The gut-brain axis is becoming a more commonly-explored topic, leaning into the idea that how we eat and our gut health can directly influence our hormones, nervous system, and ultimately, mental health.

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So just how can what we eat help boost our dopamine during the most downbeat months of the year? Here are some dietician-approved ingredients to consider adding to your diet - and they don't mean sacrificing the good stuff.

• Protein-rich foods like eggs, oily fish, chicken, beans, nuts and seeds provide amino acids — the building blocks the brain converts into dopamine. As Katie puts it, “Ii’s a bit like giving your brain the spare parts it needs to switch motivation back on."
• Bananas, beetroot and avocado add plant compounds and B-vitamins that help regulate neurotransmitters and keep energy and concentration more stable throughout the day.
• Dark chocolate (70%+) provides natural antioxidants that support the brain’s reward pathways — giving a gentle lift without the crash of sugary snacks.
• Fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut help nourish the gut–brain axis, the communication system between the gut and the brain that we now know plays a huge role in mood, stress response and emotional balance.

“The most powerful changes are often the simplest ones: adding protein to breakfast, choosing oily fish once or twice per week, keeping nuts or seeds handy to prevent energy dips, swapping to darker chocolate when you want something sweet, and enjoying fermented foods a few times a week", Katie adds.

"Over time, these small nutritional habits can support the nervous system, smooth out energy highs and lows, and make those ‘good days’ feel just that little bit more within reach”.

Why not read...

• Everyone’s ditching 75 Hard for 75 Medium this January - here are the lifestyle changes to take part
• This 2026 food trend is going to completely transform the way we eat - and it's no longer about taste

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