Nutritional Psychology: Understanding the Relationship between Food and Mental Health

by Dr. Andrea Cook, PhD, and Dr. Jennifer Champion, DCN (2025)

This textbook serves as a comprehensive resource in the field of Nutritional Psychology, showcasing how science has established the connection between food, nutritional status, and mental health. It explores the principles of nutritional psychology, explaining how our dietary choices affect us, the various factors that influence our eating habits, and the environmental aspects that shape those behaviors. Currently, practitioners in mental health and medicine receive minimal training in nutrition, while nutritionists often lack education in psychology. This textbook aims to bridge that gap by offering an accessible course suitable for both psychology and nutrition students.

Section I: Foundations of Psychology

Chapter 1: Psychology Basics

Chapter 2: Overview of Common Mental Health Disorders

Chapter 3: Mental Health Treatment as Usual

Section II: Foundations of Nutrition

Chapter 4: Nutrition Basics

Chapter 5: Exploring the Microbiome and Mental Health

Chapter 6: The Impact of Hormones on Mental Health

Section III: The Emergence of Nutritional Psychology

Chapter 7: Evidence for Integrating Nutrition to Treat Mental Illness

Chapter 8: Using a Nutritional Approach to Treat Disease

Section IV: Nutrition and Mental Health Challenges

Chapter 9: Risk Factors That Impact Mental Health

Chapter 10: Psychosocial Eating

Section V: Eating Behaviors

Chapter 11: Weight Loss

Chapter 12: Eating Disorders

Chapter 13: Food Addiction

Section VI: Where Do We Go from Here?

Chapter 14: The Politics of Food

Chapter 15: Making Food Decisions

Chapter 16: Self-Care

Click to download the Detailed Table of Contents which includes details about the topics covered in each chapter

Please complete this survey if you would like more information about teaching a Nutritional Psychology course using this textbook.

You can order the textbook at Amazon.com