No Place Like Food - The Significance of Comfort Foods

Maybe it’s a cold, rainy day. Maybe you just got a bad grade on a test. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with a pile of work. When life brings you down, you go to the kitchen and scarf down a bowl of your favorite soup or a plate of that amazing sweet treat. Instantly, you feel better. A lot of people have comfort food that they depend on in times of stress, but what makes a meal so satisfying, and why is comfort eating so common?

Ask anyone on the street about their comfort food, and they’ll probably be able to name one instantly. Comfort foods are often influenced by culture and childhood. Foods eaten during one’s adolescence can create associative memories stored in the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for storing contextual memories, such as where, when, and with whom the food was eaten. Then, the amygdala, which processes emotions, tags these memories with positive sensations, creating an association between feelings and events. Sensory cues, such as taste and smell, then activate these memories, bringing back a sense of familiarity and comfort. Food eaten during moments of positive or safe times becomes associated with those feelings, allowing individuals to develop a connection with that food. 

Comfort foods also often contain a lot of sugars, fats, and salts, making them highly palatable or very pleasant to eat. Enjoying the food triggers dopamine and endorphin release in the brain, leaving a fulfilled, happy feeling. Furthermore, simply the smell or taste of the comforting food can evoke nostalgia, bringing up memories of childhood and family. This creates an emotional safe space during times of stress. Comfort foods can also replace human connection when people feel lonely. These foods act as “social surrogates” and, when consumed, trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with social bonding. This release fosters a sense of meaningfulness and social connection, replicating the benefits of social interaction. Another plausible explanation is the placebo effect. Comfort foods may not have any effects on mood at all, but because the consumer may believe that the food is comforting, they feel better after eating it.

Those who value emotional closeness are more likely to have these comfort foods. Psychological studies show that individuals with relationally oriented attachment styles—those who see relationships as sources of support and warmth—tend to associate food with emotional connection. When they feel lonely or socially excluded, these people are more likely to seek out foods tied to positive social memories, such as family meals or shared traditions. 

Additionally, comfort foods come from personal habits. Repeated consumption of certain foods—such as soup, ice cream, dumplings, curry, or noodles—when stressed, builds up neural connections, teaching the brain to crave these foods later. This association strengthens over time as people continually turn to these meals, eventually making the behavior feel like an instinct. Because nearly everyone forms emotional bonds and experiences stress, the connection between food and comfort becomes almost universal, explaining why comfort foods are such a widespread phenomenon across cultures.

While comfort food makes people feel good, there are many effects associated with its consumption. For instance, feelings of guilt afterward can cancel out the comfort the food provides and even lead to negative emotions. This guilt often arises because the foods are typically high in fat, sugar, and calories, and people may worry about their health. Repeated impulsive consumption of comfort foods may also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Over time, food becomes a maladaptive coping tool, distracting people from addressing the underlying problems causing the stress. Interestingly, some studies suggest that comfort foods are no more effective than any other food in improving mood, highlighting how much of their effects are psychologically driven. Nevertheless, not all effects are negative, as studies have shown that older adults who consume comfort foods often have lower mortality rates.

Comfort foods appear in all shapes and sizes, commonly developing from childhood memories or repeated habits. The wonderful feeling of nostalgia and that little rush of dopamine when one eats their comfort food creates an emotional safe space, leading to improved mood and lowered stress levels. However, relying too heavily on comfort foods can lead to weight gain, feelings of guilt, and reinforcement of emotional eating habits. But for now, treat yourself to a bit of that scrumptious lasagna after seeing that 83.