Complex carbohydrates, especially potatoes, pasta, bread, beans, and cereals, onions; snacks: honey or sugar, low-fat, high carbohydrate foods such as air-popped popcorn, rice cakes, Cheerios, and other dry breakfast cereals. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages (coffee, black and green tea, colas, chocolate), especially if they are not part of your usual diet - sudden caffeine consumption can make you nervous and anxious. Avoid alcohol.

Why Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin into the bloodstream, and insulin in turn clears all of the amino acids from the blood ? except for tryptophan. Without competition from other amino acids, the tryptophan floods the brain, where it's converted into serotonin. The serotonin is a neurotransmitter that combats pain, decreases appetite, and produces calm or sleep.

The Serenest Soups: Hearty Tuscan soups like minestrone and ribollita (a variation on minestrone that includes bread and red onions) are a good lunch for when you're feeling stressed.