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, says 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 book, "Unstuck" (Penguin Press). The trick is knowing which key nutrients to include, and which foods to avoid.

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

But "diet can help with virtually any chronic condition" including depression, said registered dietitian Wendy Bazilian. Just remember that major depression might require an approach that uses food with other therapies, including medication and counseling. And 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.