food is mood

Food is mood

How food affects our mood and the sensory properties of food

By Reese Winter

How Foods Impact Our Mood: Mix and Match Worksheet

Eating different kinds of foods can have an effect on how we feel each day. Some foods give us energy and make us feel happy, while others can make us feel tired or sad if we eat too much of them. For example, eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help our brains work better and improve our mood. On the other hand, eating lots of sugary snacks or junk food might make us feel good at first, but then we might feel sleepy or cranky later. It’s important to choose a variety of healthy foods to help us feel our best!

Fill in the Blank: Fill in the blank with the correct words.

• Eating lots of _____ like apples and carrots can help us feel happier and more energetic.

• Too much _____, like candy and soda, can make us feel tired or grumpy.

• Whole grains, like _____, give our bodies long-lasting energy.

• Drinking enough _____ helps our brains stay focused and alert.

• Foods like nuts and seeds are full of _____, which help our brains work well.

Word bank: sugar, water, fruits and vegetables, protein, oatmeal

a) Potato chips

b) Apples

Which food is most likely to help you feel awake and ready to learn?

​c) Candy

a) You will always feel happy

b) You might feel tired or cranky

What might happen if you eat a lot of junk food?

​c) You will run faster

a) Water

b) Soda

What should you drink to help your brain stay focused?

​c) Juice

a) Candy and cake

b) Fruits and vegetables

Which food group includes foods that help
your brain and body grow strong?

​c) Ice cream

a) Whole grains

b) Sugary snacks

If you want long-lasting energy, you should eat more:

C) Soda

sensory properties of food

Foods are special because they can look, smell, taste, feel, and even sound different when we eat them. These are called sensory properties. When you eat, you use your senses to notice if a food is sweet, sour, crunchy, soft, or salty. Some foods can also make us feel calm or alert because of these properties. For example, crunchy foods can wake us up and help us feel more alert, while soft or warm foods might help us feel calm and relaxed.

Calming sensory foods

• Things that help our bodies to chill out are calming. These are normally things that are slow, repetitive, predictable, and use muscles for heavy work. Calming things provide our bodies with a small amount of sensory input which helps us not feel overwhelmed or overstimulated.

• Calming foods are typically foods that are chewy, bland, sweet, or warm. As well as those that offer resistive sucking (e.g. sucking through a straw)

• Eating foods that are calming can help our bodies chill out when we are feeling overwhelmed, over excited, or agitated.

Alerting sensory foods

• Things that wake up our bodies are alerting. These are normally things that change quickly, are intense, and unpredictable. Alerting things provide our bodies with lots of sensory input which helps them tune into what is happening around us

• Alerting foods are typically foods that are crunchy, cold, salty, sour, very sweet, or spicy

• Eating foods that are alerting can wake up our bodies when we are on a go slow or are feeling tired