Chocolate cake is a popular home remedy for depression, but it comes with some unwelcome side effects. Sweet treats don't just pack on the pounds; they give us a sugar high that's inevitably followed by a demoralizing crash.

Still, there's growing recognition in the medical community that the right food choices can improve your mood. Though drugs are often considered the first line of treatment for depression, a dietary change might be all you need, says James Gordon, a psychiatrist who advocates nondrug approaches to depression.

Gordon, a clinical professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, said he believes that what we eat affects how we think and feel. "It's a wake-up call to let us know our body is out of balance."

Food can help restore that equilibrium, Gordon wrote in his new book, "Unstuck" (Penguin Press, $25.95). The trick is knowing which key nutrients to include, and which foods to avoid.

Nutritional changes aren't a magic bullet; they're subtle pieces of a treatment plan that might also include therapy, exercise - one of the most effective depression busters - and stress-reduction techniques.

Never abruptly stop taking medication even if you're experiencing side effects such as weight gain and sexual dysfunction; talk to your doctor about tapering down.

Consume more ...

• Salmon. Fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids, which keep cell membranes pliable and flexible, said neurosurgeon Larry McCleary, founder of a research group that looks at natural ways to treat health issues. It's also in tuna, anchovies and sardines, but since fish fat is also a good place to store heavy metals, pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), consider plant-based sources, including walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and green, leafy vegetables.

• Oatmeal, soy milk and two eggs. This meal will give you an amino acid that's a precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Many antidepressants are designed to prolong the activity of serotonin in our cells, but you can increase the levels by eating carbohydrates (with the exception of fructose, the sugar in fruit), said Judith Wurtman, author of "The Serotonin Power Diet" (Rodale, $24.95).

• Spinach: Low levels of the B vitamin folate, found in spinach, peas, navy beans, orange juice, wheat germ or avocado, may play a role in depression in some patients, said Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.

• Vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D has been shown to help with seasonal affective disorder, said Bruce Hollis, professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. It may also have an anti-inflammatory effect and increase the flexibility of cell membranes, making the brain's neurotransmitters work better.

• Broccoli and blueberries: When combined with protein in fish, chicken and turkey, high-fiber, nonstarchy vegetables help stabilize blood sugar levels, said Jack Challem, co-author of "The Food-Mood Solution" (Wiley, $24.95). "Our moods usually track with blood sugar levels," Challem said. "When our blood sugar is on the rise right after we eat, most people feel pretty contented. If it goes up too high, people feel sleepy because high blood sugar turns off orexins, a family of neuropeptides involved in feeling alert."

• Quinoa. Whole grains, a good source of B vitamins, break down and release sugar slowly, so you don't get high levels of insulin and the ups and down of blood sugar, said Gordon. Quinoa, a seed that is classified as a grain, is considered one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom. Also try oats, brown rice, or whole wheat bread or pasta.

Consume less ...

• Red meat. As you increase omega-3s, try to cut down on the other type of fatty acid, omega-6, which is found in beef.

• Fried foods. Trans fats and saturated fats make the membranes rigid; then the neurotransmitters don't work as well.

• Gas station food. Processed foods contain refined flour and give you high doses of sugar but lack critical nutrients, Gordon said.

"You'll often experience a feeling of well-being from the sugar when levels are high, but when it's low you experience a letdown or fatigue." Refined sugars include white table sugar, white flour and high fructose corn syrup.

• Alcohol and caffeine. Though alcohol is a stimulant in low doses, it also depletes the brain's mood elevator, serotonin. Caffeine blocks the soothing effects of the brain's "feel-good" messenger called GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) that can calm mood and the digestive tract, said Molly Siple, author of "Eating for Recovery" (Da Capo Press, $17.95).

"Refined foods and caffeine tend to raise the blood glucose," she said. "The drop is a route into depression."