"I'm gonna be 'round my vegetables/I'm gonna chow down my vegetables/I love you most of all/My favorite vegetable." When The Beach Boys recorded "Vegetables" in 1967, they were trying to get happier and healthier — and hoped to help others feel better too.

They were onto something, because choosing to eat the right foods can do more than make you healthy. Tasty, nutritious foods also make you happier.

They do that by fueling you with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and C. Those nutrients then help your body produce neurotransmitters/hormones such as dopamine and serotonin that elevate your mood.

To increase your happiness, enjoy salmon, anchovies, herring, and other omega-3-rich fish. According to the organization Mental Health America, five of eight studies looking at omega-3s and depression found that they can boost your mood. The other three studies had inconclusive evidence.

You also need fiber. A study from 2002 found that people who eat a high-fiber diet (loaded with 100% whole grains, and lots of fruits and vegetables) were less distressed, had better cognition, fell asleep more easily, and were less likely to be depressed than those who ate low-fiber diet.

Leafy greens and mushrooms deliver a good dose of zinc and magnesium, and lean skinless chicken and turkey — as well as salmon — give you vitamins B3, B6, and B12. (Low levels of B12 and other B vitamins are associated with depression.)

For more tips on healthy, happy foods, visit LongevityPlaybook.com.