Stress affects us all, but what you eat can calm or compound your stress levels. Discover how simple, nutrient-rich foods can support your nervous system and help you feel more focused, grounded, and energised.
Did you know that what you eat determines how your body responds to stress? Certain foods can calm your nervous system, balance your blood sugar, and even support your gut-brain axis, making staying focused, energised, and emotionally grounded easier.
Let's break down how food can become your daily toolkit for stress relief — and share a vibrant, easy-to-make stress-busting mezze plate packed with raw, whole foods, balancing macros, and gut-healing superstars.
The Food–Mood Connection
Your body needs the right nutrients to produce calming brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA — and when you're stressed, you burn through nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, and omega-3s even faster.
At the same time, blood sugar spikes and crashes can worsen mood swings, anxiety, and fatigue. The goal is to build meals that steady your blood sugar, support digestion, and nourish your nervous system.
Enter the Stress-Busting Mezze Plate
This isn't just a pretty plate of raw vegetables. It's a balanced, whole-food approach to managing stress naturally—without caffeine, sugar, or energy crashes.
I opt for a Mezze plate most days or take the same ingredients and create a lettuce wrap. Often, I have lunch at my desk, so it is fast, delicious, and super nutritious, supporting optimum mind-body balance. I'm also mindful not to do stressful emails over lunch to avoid raising my stress hormones, which impair digestion.
Why It Works:
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Carbs from colourful vegetables = slow-releasing energy, fibre, and phytonutrients to regulate cortisol
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Healthy fats like avocado, olives, and goat cheese support hormone balance and brain health
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Protein, like eggs, lentils, or wild-caught fish, stabilises blood sugar and supports neurotransmitter production
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Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi support gut health, immunity, and the gut-brain axis
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A rainbow of colours adds an antioxidant defence against oxidative stress and inflammation
Build Your Stress-Busting Mezze Plate
Here's how to assemble it — no cooking required (unless you want to soft-boil an egg or grill some fish):
Raw Veggies (Carb + Fibre + Colour)
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Red: Cherry tomatoes, beetroot, and radishes are all high in vitamin C + lycopene
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Orange: Carrots, brilliant beta-carotene and B6 for adrenal health
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Yellow: Yellow capsicum or yellow tomatoes are a source of lutein and vitamin C
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Green: Cucumber, watercress, spinach, broccoli, celery, sugar snap peas, great for hydrating, magnesium-rich, and anti-inflammatory
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Purple/Blue: Purple cabbage, blueberries, are a delicious source of anthocyanins for brain and blood vessel support
Good Fats
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½ avocado or 2 tbsp of guacamole(magnesium, potassium)
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1-2 tbsp of olives (polyphenols + healthy fats)
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1-2 tbsp of hummus or beetroot hummus (good, clean, bio-available protein)
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1 tbsp of goat cheese or haloumi (easy-to-digest, calming fat & protein combo)
Protein Options
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1 soft-boiled or poached egg (B12, tryptophan, choline)
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½ cup cooked lentils or chickpeas or 3-4 falafel (iron + B vitamins)
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Small wild fish such as grilled salmon, trout, seabass or sardines (omega-3s + complete protein)
Gut-Healing Add-Ons
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2–3 tbsp sauerkraut or kimchi – supports digestion, serotonin, and inflammation regulation
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Optional: drizzle of olive oil with lemon and tahini for extra minerals and flavour
Finish Strong, Stay Calm
This stress-busting mezze plate is ideal for lunch or an early dinner, giving your body everything it needs to:
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Stay full and satisfied
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Avoid the 3 p.m. energy crash
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Reduce cravings and emotional eating
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Sleep better and recover from your day
You don't have to overhaul your whole diet to start feeling better; you just need to choose the right foods in the right combinations.
Bonus Tip:
Pair your mezze plate with a calming herbal tea, like lemon balm, tulsi, or chamomile and take 10 minutes to eat mindfully. This will activate your parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest"), allowing your food to nourish you even deeper.
