A Guide to Comfort Food: Why We Love It and How to Find a Joyful Balance

The science behind why we love comfort food

Giving ourselves a hearty and comforting meal can feel like an act of self-care, but it isn’t the only reason we may reach for comfort food. It can also include:

• Nostalgia: Your comfort foods may be closely tied to your favorite childhood dishes. Eating them can trigger warm memories and a feeling of safety.
• Familiarity: Having a ‘go-to’ comfort meal can often help reduce any decision fatigue present after a long day. It can feel consoling knowing that you can reach for a meal that feels predictable and reliable.
• Cultural connection: Your comfort meals may also be tied to cultural traditions and recipes, allowing you to access a deeper sense of belonging and familial connection.
• Emotional regulation: You may find that you reach for your comfort foods after a long, hard day to help lift your mood.

Here’s what comfort food can teach us about having a healthy relationship with food

Comfort foods can be a great tool to help encourage mindful eating. When we enjoy our meals, we are more likely to slow down, appreciate what is on our plate, and savor the taste.

This can teach us to explore beyond just eating to fuel our bodies, but to nourish them on a deeper level by finding joy in the food we consume.

Research has found that mindful eating can also help us recognize our bodies’ hunger cues and feelings of fullness, reducing the likelihood of overeating. Learning to enjoy our favorite foods mindfully and eat without guilt can help cultivate a healthier, more positive relationship with the food we eat.

The role of comfort food in culture and nutrition

Cultural foods, including traditional recipes and flavors, often include dishes passed down from generation to generation, evoking a sense of home and belonging. It can allow people to feel a deeper sense of connection to their identities and form meaningful familial connections through the food they eat.

It’s important to remember there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition. A balanced diet looks different for everyone.

Nutrition standards are often rooted in Western dietary frameworks that define what ‘healthy’ should look like. This can create barriers to sustainable, healthy eating, leading some groups to feel excluded, fostering food shame, and reducing access to culturally relevant nutritional guidance.

Rethinking healthy eating and embracing cultural foods can broaden definitions of health, recognizing that many traditional foods can still be highly nutritious and well-balanced, while creating meaningful connections to heritage.

This approach can support both better health outcomes and a stronger relationship with eating.

How to create a balance

While some comfort foods can still form part of a nourishing diet, most are often high in calories and sugar. While we all want to enjoy what’s on our plate, it is still important to eat a varied and balanced diet.

The key is not limiting yourself, but instead finding a balance where you can still enjoy your food, but also meet your nutritional needs.

Takeaway

Comfort food can mean different things to different people. It may be food that evokes nostalgia, embraces cultural roots, or simply offers a sense of consolation after a long day.

While you may associate comfort food with indulgent or hearty dishes, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is unhealthy. Ultimately, it leaves you feeling satisfied and offers not only emotional satisfaction but also the sense that you can care for and nourish your body, which can help boost overall mood and well-being.

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