Day-old rice, 4 eggs, frozen peas, soy sauce, sesame oil. Feeds 4 and cleans out the fridge. Rich in choline for focus and brain repair.

Red lentils, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric. Serve with rice or flatbread. Lentils are one of the highest folate foods — key for calm.

Rolled oats, ripe bananas, milk, egg, cinnamon. Bake in a dish and slice. Works as a hearty breakfast-for-dinner. Kids love it and it stabilises blood sugar all evening.

Pasta, canned tuna, frozen corn, cream of mushroom soup, cheese on top. Bake until golden. Tuna delivers omega-3s that directly support mood regulation and reduce inflammation.

Baked potatoes stuffed with baked beans, cheese and sour cream. Filling, comforting, and surprisingly nutritious. Resistant starch in potatoes feeds gut bacteria linked to serotonin production.

Chicken thighs, frozen mixed veg, noodles, stock. Simmer until tender. Chicken is high in tryptophan — the amino acid your body converts to serotonin. Classic comfort science.

Flour tortillas, canned black beans, shredded cheese, salsa. Fry until crispy. Beans are a slow-burning carb that keeps blood sugar stable — and moods even — for hours.

Penne, ricotta, frozen spinach, garlic, lemon zest, parmesan. Stir through pasta and serve. Spinach is one of the highest magnesium foods — essential for reducing anxiety and improving sleep.

Canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder, garlic. Serve with rice. Chickpeas are incredibly high in B6 — a critical cofactor for serotonin and dopamine synthesis.

6 eggs, any leftover veg (zucchini, capsicum, potato), cheese. Bake or stovetop finish. Eggs are the most complete mood food — choline, B12, selenium, and all essential amino acids in one.

Ramen noodles, miso paste, soft-boiled egg, frozen corn, spring onion. Ready in 15 minutes. Miso is a fermented food full of probiotics that support the gut-brain axis and reduce anxiety naturally.

Macaroni, butter, flour, milk, cheddar cheese, mustard powder. Thick, creamy, from-scratch — better than the box and costs the same. Dairy provides tryptophan for serotonin production.

Cannellini beans, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, garlic, olive oil. Thick, fragrant, warming. Lycopene in tomatoes is an antioxidant strongly linked to reduced depression symptoms in population studies.

Arborio rice, full cream milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon. Slow-cooked until creamy. One of the most deeply comforting dishes in the world — warm carbohydrates elevate serotonin within 30 minutes.

Sweet potato, red lentils, coconut milk, ginger, cumin. Blend until silky. Sweet potato is exceptionally high in beta-carotene and B6 — both proven to reduce anxiety and support emotional regulation.

2 ripe bananas, 2 eggs, splash of milk, pinch of cinnamon. Fry in butter. Naturally sweet, naturally nutritious — no sugar needed. Bananas contain dopamine precursors and B6 for mood balance.