18 Foods and Drinks That Will Improve Your Mood Tomorrow

I had to trade in my man card for these.

When I had the fresh pico de gallo that I posted yesterday, I felt invigorated the next day. No doubt I was more productive the following day because of that meal. And I don’t think it was the chicken. I think it was the pico.

Besides that pico, here are 17 other foods and drinks that will make you feel great the next day.

Cucumber water – This was new to me but apparently it is popular in spas. I love cucumbers so I gave it a try. The idea is simple. Chop up a cucumber and let it steep in chilled water for a few minutes. It is very refreshing but I don’t recommend a pitcher of this for Sunday Night Football.

Dark chocolate - Apparently, dark chocolate has these nutrients called flavonoids which helps boost your thinking power. Doesn’t taste half bad either.

Egg noodles with beef bullion - This is one of Betsy’s favorite things when she is feeling sick and she has me hooked on it. Just boil a few Bullion cubes and throw in egg noodles near the end. Totally simple, but very satisfying.

A crisp apple - I walk to work every day and about half of those days I eat an apple on the way. There is definitely something to that apple a day deal.

Avocado with salt - Ok. So maybe the salt isn’t great for you, but I love chopping up an avocado, sprinkling it with kosher or sea salt and eating it with a fork. Is that weird? Maybe, but it gives me tons of energy.

Edamame -While you used to only be able to find these guys in Asian restaurants, you can now buy them frozen at most supermarkets. Just microwave or steam them for a few minutes and you have a protein-packed snack. Good stuff.

Tomato soup - I’ve never made homemade tomato soup. I know it is pretty straightforward to make but I just love the canned stuff. It reminds me of my childhood. A can of tomato soup and some toast is a fine meal in my book.

Whole wheat toast with cinnamon and sugar - I sometimes have this for breakfast (in which case I feel good the same day) or as a dessert the night before. I butter the bread, sprinkle on the goods and broil it for about 2 minutes. Is it the healthiest? Probably not, but at least it’s wheat toast. It could be worse.

Almonds - Roasted or raw. Salted or bland. A handful of these will boost your Vitamin E which is apparently helpful to your brain. If you want to really go crazy you could put them in a salad or something.

Vanilla ice cream - This isn’t really healthy or logical. I just love vanilla ice cream. None of those complex flavors like “chocolate” for me. I like the basics. I like days with ice cream more than days without ice cream.

Greek yogurt with honey and bran - This is again one of my breakfast go-tos. I don’t really like boxed cereal so this a good way to get some dairy and bran in the morning.

Jasmine rice with butter - One of my friends said that when he is sick he likes rice with a bit of butter. I’ve never tried it when sick, but I know that I love a big bowl of rice in general. A good bowl of rice is a perfect example of a simple dish that is often overlooked by us Americans.

Celery and fennel salad – This was brought to my attention by a reader and while I haven’t made it (yet) it looks very refreshing. Plus Mark Bittman is one of my favorite cooks so I know I will not only like it, but feel great after I eat it.

Poached fish - More on this tomorrow, but people often like to bake fish or fry fish. The healthiest and sometimes quickest way to make fish is to poach it in a flavorful broth. A light fish can take on a lot of flavor and still be very healthy if cooked this way.

Green tea – I know. How zen of me. But seriously, green tea is supposed to be quite calming. I must admit that I don’t really drink it, but my Mom lives off of the stuff and if it is good enough for my Mom it is good enough for you! If you don’t trust my mom though, trust science. Green tea has antioxidants that help blood flow and enhance memory and mood.

Medium rare steak – And you thought I had gone all girlie. Some people might say that a steak weighs you down the next day, but I’ve never really had that problem unless I eat like two pounds of it. Instead, I’ve found that it gives me a lot of energy. And you can save half of it (yea right) and have a solid breakfast the next day.

Turmeric - Need something to rub on that steak? How about some turmeric. One of the most forgotten and disrespected spices – even though it has some documented effect on various cancers. It is also damn good on a steak. Will this make you feel better the next day? It sure can’t hurt.

What are some things that make you feel more alert and happy after you eat them?