Comfort Foods: What They Are and Why They Make Us Feel Good

We all have experienced that instance where we feel comforted after eating a certain food. For Indians , it is khichadi (rice, lentils and vegetables cooked together with spice and a dab of ghee added for garnish). Best eaten with curds or a kadhi (curry). For some others, it is a cup of sweet tea or a piece of chocolate cake.

Why do we feel so comforted when we eat this ? What else does it make us feel? What does it denote ? Well, these are comfort foods aka foods that comfort us and we feel a sense of warmth, security and contentment, after consuming them.

Comfort foods are those which are nostalgic, like the curd rice or the idli sambhar that you were fed in your childhood. The feeling is beyond words, one has to experience it to understand it.

Comfort food is made up of the following

Ingredients: The ingredients used in cooking these comfort foods are the simple ones found in our kitchen, like potato, rice, lentils, dals (in India) and macaroni, cheese, potato, pasta, and chocolate (in countries outside India)
Flavours: The flavours of these comfort foods are creamy, starchy, and rich, with abundant flavours and spices. They are satiating and yummy.
Nostalgic: Comfort foods are nostalgic, reminiscent of childhood, family meals, and memorable occasions. They remind us of the ‘good old days’ when “all was right with the world”.
Emotions: Comfort foods are associated with our emotions. They invoke a sense of happiness and comfort, making us feel safe and comfortable.

^[1As per a survey carried out of 277 participants comprising 81 men and 196 women, it was seen that women ate comfort foods when lonely, depressed, or guilty, whereas men ate comfort foods when they were jubilant, considering it a reward for their triumph. The report by Wansink and Sangerman (2000) cites 86% of people ate comfort foods in times of victory, and 39% of people ate comfort foods when they were sad and lonely.

^[2]Research has shown that our brain has certain “hedonic hotspots” i.e. specific segments that enhance the gratifying of our senses of liking the food like fats, salts, and carbohydrates. This in turn leads to increase in the dopamine levels which makes us want to eat the food as we consider it our reward. The dopamine is a chemical that improves our mood and therefore we feel induced to eat the comfort food again and again. Studies have shown that these foods are also called “hyper-palatable” foods, and can be sweet or savory or flavorful.

More studies were carried out which show that comfort foods were a quick-fix and over a period of time, they lead to feelings of guilt and regret.

Reasons why some foods are comforting as compared to others

Certain factors determine why some foods are comforting as compared to others. To each his own – every individual has their own comfort food.

1) Genetics: Our genetics influence our taste, be it sweet or savoury. These genetics make us more perceptive towards our senses, thereby enhancing or diminishing our taste of certain foods. E.g. Bitter gourd: some love it while there are some who hate it.

2) Senses: Our sense of taste, touch and smell greatly influence our food. When we eat, the taste on our palate and the texture and aroma of the food greatly influence our eating experience.

3) Appeal: Some foods are emotionally appealing to us for their link to our good memories. Alternately, if the food reminds us of unhappy incidents, we tend to avoid that food altogether.

4) Culture: Our culture has a great influence on our comfort food. E.g. Kimchi or natto are favourites of people of the Asian culture, whereas dairy items like cheese are more popular in Western cultures. The food that belongs to a particular culture is the most preferred among its citizens.

5) Familiarity: Familiar foods that we have been eating help us to develop its taste. It seems so familiar to our senses, as we have eaten it numerous times. Over a period of time, we may develop a taste for some foods that we hated in our childhood. We may also be tempted to try out new foods that we may have often seen our family and friends eat. All these psychological factors have an influence on our food.

6) Social media & advertising: We may be influenced by social media posts and advertising to eat that pizza or drink that cola.

7) Access: We may be influenced by the access and availability of the food that makes us like it. E.g. living in urban areas, we may like local food available; living in rural areas, we may like the fresh fruits readily available. It is but obvious that we will prefer the food that is readily available to us.

8) Taste: Changes in our liking may make us find some food comforting as opposed to others. Factors like age, health conditions, trying different cuisine and eating the local food available when travelling, can also influence the way we look at our comfort food.