This is food that, firstly, is associated with childhood, a sense of safety, and being taken care of. If someone had a messed-up childhood, like me, well, the experience with “comfort food” can vary. But usually, these are traditional dishes made by mom, made by grandma, somewhat festive dishes, rich, fried, salty, sweet. High-calorie, high-fat, dishes with a high content of salt and/or sugar activate the brain’s reward system. Yes, this is emotional eating, stress eating. It’s important to realize why it’s chocolate and not chili or kale.
How we eat and the reactions of our body and mind to various foods are strongly influenced by evolution, which prompted us to choose fatty, sweet, and salty dishes at a time when calorie deficiency and mineral deficiency (salt) were a matter of survival. It’s worth using this knowledge when composing a menu, even for comfort food, so that it remains as nutritionally balanced as possible and equally or even more delicious.
The term was first used in The Palm Beach Post, a Florida newspaper. Adults under strong stress turn to what can be called comfort food, food associated with childhood safety, such as boiled eggs or chicken soup. Since then, quite an interesting body of scientific literature has developed on the term itself and its unexpected perspectives. Currently, NASA plans to provide Comfort Food to crews during future manned…