The Center for
Nutritional Psychology
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization developing the field of NP.
CE/CPE now credits available for mental health & nutrition professionals!
Learn more or enroll below.
CNP LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP
Home of the world’s first online searchable database
consolidating research in the diet-mental health relationship
Learn more here.
Our vision
A nutritional component to mental healthcare by 2030
CNP’s vision for the future of mental healthcare is a one that includes the role of diet in supporting mental health. CNP is working to fill the void in our current mental healthcare model by consolidating research, developing curriculum, and creating a methodology through which we can view the diet mental health relationship.
Read More
THE CENTER FOR NUTRITIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AT A GLANCE
Developing the field of nutritional psychology since 2005.
CNP-WRITTEN SUMMARIES
RESEARCH STUDY LINKS
RESEARCH CATEGORIES
A NUTRITIONAL COMPONENT TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE
Mission
ADVOCACY 
RESOURCES 
EDUCATION 
TOOLS Poor diet is already understood to be a major contributor to disease and mortality, and is also now being examined in its role in mental health. Studies from around the globe demonstrate this diet-mental health relationship (DMHR) and while many individuals have some awareness of how the foods they eat affect the way they feel, some remain confused, and still others need proof that such a relationship exists.
CNP’s mission is to serve as an online resource providing awareness of the DMHR, advocating for the development of the field and its implementation into the mental health care system, and providing resources, education and tools for professionals and individuals.
Read MoreCurriculum for students in the mental health and nutrition professions
We are developing a university-level curriculum in nutritional psychology for inclusion in the psychological and allied health-related sciences. NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods is the first course in this curriculum, and will be the foundation for a future Certification in Nutritional Psychology. Enrollment for NP 110 is open now! Learn more.
CNP’s mission includes preparing mental health professionals to recognize the nutritional component that diet can play in impacting a client’s mental health. NP combines evidence-based findings on the diet-mental health relationship with psycho-nutritional tools to expand cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual skills that support positive mental health dietary choices.
If you are a professional with formal training in both mental health and nutrition and wish to be involved in the development of NP curriculum, please contact us!
Do you want to see NP courses and programs offered in colleges and universities? Take two minutes to complete an Advocacy Form and lend your voice to the nutritional psychology movement.
Advocate for NP
Psychosocial
Examining the role that family, culture, community, society, and socioeconomic status play in determining our dietary intake patterns
Psychological
Examining the relationship between our dietary intake patterns and our feelings, moods, and emotions
Behavioral
Developing an awareness of the relatively predictable dietary behaviors we present in response to consuming a western dietary pattern, i.e., ‘cabinet surfing’ at night
Interoceptive
Developing awareness of the physical and mental sensations we experience in response to our dietary intake patterns (discomfort, pain, irritation, or peace, energy, and calm)
Perceptual
Developing awareness of the physical and mental sensations we experience in response to our dietary intake patterns (discomfort, pain, irritation, or peace, energy, and calm)
Cognitive
Using our mental processes (thinking, problem solving, learning, and creativity) to gain insight into how the food we eat is affecting our mental health.
Supporting Parents and Kids with Innovative Education
What if your children developed skills from a young age to be able to navigate through the western dietary landscape, and build an internalized awareness of how to eat to support and protect their mental health?
It’s not enough anymore to simply say “Eat your broccoli – it’s good for you!” Children’s exposure to the standard western dietary lifestyle becomes first-nature if left unattended. CNP is working to arm young kids with the cognitive, perceptual and behavioral skills to help them make conscious choices that help them in supporting their mood and mental health. Nutritional psychology is not a cure, but it is a piece of the puzzle for developing skills that support physical and mental health.
READ MORENUTRITIONAL PSYCHOLOGY CURRICULUM FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS
Nutritional psychology curriculum in development provides professionals with psycho-educational tools to help their clients develop the cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual skills needed for understanding the effects their dietary intake patterns may be having on their mood, behavior and mental health. NP gives mental health professionals another important piece of the puzzle for supporting their clients’ mental health and well-being by helping them understand how and why they can use food as a tools to improve the way they feel.
Read MoreNews
CNP keeps you informed with the latest diet-mental health news.
More Evidence Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Health Harms
People who eat lots of ultra-processed foods are more likely to develop heart disease and to die sooner than those who stick with foods in their original form, two large studies conclude.
Read More
Fast Food Makes the Immune System More Aggressive in the Long Term
Unhealthy food seems to make the body's defenses more aggressive in the long term.
Read More
A Closer Look at the Importance of Gut Mechanisms in Depression
The variety of genes in gut bacteria is greater than 100 times the quantity of the human genome.
Read MoreJoin Our Community
Take steps to develop your understanding of the relationship between diet and mental health. Together, we can build a new model of mental healthcare to include this important piece of the puzzle.
