Satisfying Cravings: Comfort Food’s Role in Mental Health and Balanced Diets

Bridget Jones wrapped in a blanket, with a pint of ice cream in one and a large spoon in the other hand… You don’t have to know the scene to understand she is feeling down. 

Why? Well, because it’s a pretty common situation. In fact, as many as 38% of adults eat more or eat more unhealthy in times of stress. 

But when you’re dealing with emotional and not physical hunger, food can’t solve the issue. In fact, there are a number of ways comfort food can negatively impact your mood and mental health. 

In this article, we’ll uncover the psychological drive behind comfort eating and how you can manage your food intake without impairing your mood and health.

Let’s dive in.

The Psychology of Comfort Eating

Bridget Jones, with her pint of ice cream, is the stereotype of soothing feelings with food. Even if you haven’t watched the movie, you surely know a similar scene from any other adaptation or TV show. Why is that, you might ask?

Science says that we don’t always turn to food to satisfy physical hunger. Sometimes, we eat for stress relief, comfort, or to reward ourselves. According to a study involving university students, stress is one of the leading causes of emotional eating.

But what’s wrong with using food to make yourself feel better? Nothing, when done occasionally. However, using food as your primary method of coping with emotions only gets you stuck in an unhealthy cycle. 

You see, emotional hunger can’t be satiated with eating. While food helps at the moment, it doesn’t do anything regarding the problem or the feelings that caused the issue. Not to mention you might even feel worse after eating unnecessary calories, which comfort food typically contains.

As you know, extreme measures aren’t typically the answer. Stuffing your feelings with comfort food is terrible, but you also don’t have to deprive yourself of it completely. One way of balancing your comfort food intake is being mindful of it.

Emotional Eating VS Mindful Eating

Emotional eating is intrinsically mindless. What this means is you’re pretty much eating on autopilot. In other words, you’re not entirely present, focused on your sense experience – your food’s smell, taste, and texture. 

In fact, your mind may be entirely on something else, like the TV show you’re watching. In such a case, you might miss your body cues that you’re no longer hungry and thus overeat. 

As a result, you’ll eventually be stuffed with food and feelings of regret and shame. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can indulge in comfort food every now and then, as long as you’re really present. 

By this, I mean putting your senses to work. Take your time when eating by slowing down and savoring each bite of food. Really focus on the overall experience by paying attention to:

One of the best methods is keeping a food and mood diary. Yes, that’s exactly as it sounds – writing down what you eat and how you feel. In short, you should record everything, such as:

• Type of food
• Time and place of consumption
• Persons you were with
• Reasons for choosing that food
• Hunger level
• Mood while and after eating

While it may sound excessive, this information can help you notice patterns and identify triggers for emotional eating. Of course, that’s no solution by itself. From there, you have to figure out other ways to fulfill yourself emotionally to avoid turning to food for comfort.

Food And Medication Interactions

Since we’re on the subject of the effects comfort food has on mental health, there’s one thing you should be wary of – food-medicine interactions. 

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard before that certain medications work faster, slower, better, or worse on an empty stomach. At the same time, certain drugs can upset the stomach if taken without food.

And that’s true for mental health medications as well. For instance, food in the stomach speeds up the absorption of certain mood-regulation drugs, including:

• Buspirone
• Lurasidone
• Sertraline
• Vilazodone
• Ziprasidone

But sometimes, food can also make absorption slower; such is the case with trazodone.

Whether a particular drug works better on a full or empty stomach depends on the drug. That will be stated on the packaging, so you don’t have to put yourself about that. But if it should be taken with food, there are a few things to remember.

So, for instance, foods like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. In other words, the drugs might not work as effectively as they should when taken with other foods. On the other hand, celery and parsley have the opposite effect.

Grapefruit juice is an interesting case, as this drink can interact with many psychotropic drugs, especially bipolar medications. Grapefruit juice contains furanocoumarins, which are compounds that block certain metabolism enzymes.

With these enzymes blocked, medication concentration levels in your blood will be higher than usual. For instance, when buspirone is taken with grapefruit juice, its concentration can increase by four-fold. Now, that sounds dangerous, no?

For those on lithium prescription, there are numerous food interactions to keep in mind. Caffeine may decrease the effect of the drug. So, you should limit teas, coffee, cacao, and chocolate while on lithium.

It’s also worth noting that salt consumption can cause fluctuations in lithium levels. A high-sodium diet can cause the levels to drop, making the drug ineffective. Low-sodium diet, on the other hand, can cause lithium levels to skyrocket, causing lithium toxicity. Neither is good, so you want to balance your salt intake while on this medication.

Whatever drug you might be prescribed, it’s important to research possible food interactions. While in some cases you should limit consumption of certain foods, in most cases, they’re okay to eat as long as they’re not taken at the same time as drugs. 

Comfort Food in Childhood

It’s not surprising that we may turn to food for comfort, given that’s an association we developed early in childhood. 

Parents giving their child a lollipop or a favorite snack when is distress – that sounds like an oddly familiar scenario, no? The method definitely works, as many of us know from personal experience. 

However, according to a study, repeatedly feeding a child when feeling bad teaches them that eating helps regulate emotions. In other words, they learn that comfort food can help them feel better – at least for the moment. 

This is not to say that eating can’t be comforting in a healthy way. A good example is a family meal. In this case, a family meal is a ritual involving specific rules and expectations. 

First off, they should be regular and typically served at the same time, with enough hours in between meals. Let the little picky eaters choose what they want on their plate (from the foods served) and how much. Don’t make them clean the plate; it teaches them to override the feeling of fullness.

Kids love predictability, so having such a routine allows them to decide for themselves if they’re hungry. Skipping a meal is not big of a deal when they know the next one will be in several hours.

Healthy Comfort Food Alternatives For Kids

The key to developing a healthier relationship with food lies in balanced eating. Fatty and sugary foods can be a part of a kid’s diet, as long as it also includes veggies, fruits, legumes, and grains. 

Now, surely every parent hates saying “no” to their kid’s food choice. But you can avoid that situation by making it easy for them to choose healthy options. Here are some amazing snack alternatives to try.

• Popcorn – many people don’t realize that popcorn is 100% whole grain. As such, it’s not bad for kids, as long as you don’t drown it in unnecessary toppings.

• Nuts – not only delicious, nuts are packed with healthy fats, fibers, and antioxidants. 

• Pear slices with ricotta cheese – crunchy and chewy, this snack is a great source of protein and calcium.

• Fruit smoothie – a bunch of nutrients in a single snack. You can even blend some veggies, and the sweetness of fruit sugar will make them indistinguishable. 

• Sweet potato fries – what kid doesn’t love fries? Sweet potato is packed with beta-carotene, which is essential for eye and skin health.

• Turkey burger – rest assured that the kids won’t tell the difference between turkey and beef meat. Both are an excellent source of protein, but turkey contains much less saturated fat compared to beef.

The Cultural and Emotional Ties to Comfort Food

As we already established, we’re introduced to the concept of comfort food from an early age. But what we consider comfort food is rooted even deeper in our upbringing. In other words, it’s typically a reflection of our family traditions and culture.

So while congee is a go-to comfort food in China, Canadians typically turn to poutine. In the States, fried chicken is a classic option, while khichdi is one of the most popular choices in India. 

What do these dishes have in common? The cultural significance of a certain determines the emotional aspect of indulging in it. In other words, it’s about satiating hunger and connecting to your personal history. In times of distress, familiar flavors, smells, and texture help in bringing comfort.

Traditional dishes are usually passed down to new generations, thus deeply rooted in our identity. But we may also be connected to certain comfort foods through memories and experiences. 

For instance, the soup your parents used to make when you were sick as a child. Sure, the warm dish has helped in alleviating symptoms. But it has also provided a sense of security and safety.

Managing Comfort Food Intake Without Sacrificing Joy

As we established, there’s nothing wrong with eating comfort foods every now and then. But in order to maintain a balanced diet, you should try to make your meals as healthy as possible.

In the case of savory comfort foods, this means adding veggies and legumes when possible. As for sweet meals, you can use sugar substitutes, add more fruit, or swap regular for whole flour. Doing so allows you to enjoy comfort foods while nourishing your body.

Plus, there’s nothing to feel guilty about – both fatty and healthy ingredients are on your plate! Ideally, you want to use an 80/20 rule in your everyday diet. This means nutritious foods should make up 80%, while the remaining 20% is reserved for your favorite things.

Of course, portion control isn’t just about the percentage but the overall volume as well. In other words, the 80/20 rule doesn’t mean much when you’re getting a fourth refill. A large plate filled with food should be enough for a meal.

The Long-term Impact of Comfort Eating on Health

It’s undeniable that comfort eating can help you wind down in stressful situations. And occasionally, resorting to high-fat processed foods to feel better isn’t a crime. But given the long-term impact such foods have on health, comfort eating shouldn’t be your coping mechanism.

Let’s get scientific to find out exactly why that’s bad.

According to a number of studies, people feel less stressed after eating carb-rich foods. That’s because they increase insulin, which increases the serotonin that reaches the brain and makes you feel better.

Now, that happiness boost doesn’t last for a long while. What it does last is the blood sugar spike, and over time, these levels can have an impact on brain cells.

Not only that, but a high-carb diet impairs the gut microbiome and can cause inflammation, not to mention weight gain. And given how our guts and brains are connected via nerves, it’s no wonder why an upset stomach can affect your mood.

According to research conducted in Hangzhou, China, frequent consumption of fried foods (especially fries) is linked with a higher risk of anxiety and depression than in people who don’t eat such foods. And vice versa, people dealing with symptoms of anxiety and depression may turn to eating fatty foods, thus creating a never-ending circle.

Heart Health and Comfort Eating

There’s more to comfort eating than just the rollercoaster of the effects it has on your mental health. As you might know, stress spikes up blood pressure and heart rate while constricting blood vessels. According to research, eating comforting food when your body is in such a condition causes endothelial dysfunction.

To put it simply, the endothelium is the layer of cells that lines blood vessels. When it works properly, it helps constrict and relax the vessels. But when it doesn’t work as intended, it can lead to high blood pressure, clogged arteries, and an overall risk of cardiovascular diseases.

So as it turns out, comfort food isn’t really comforting to your heart. On the contrary, it only slows down your body’s response to stress, thus making you more susceptible to the aforementioned heart diseases.

It’s worth noting that healthier food, especially those rich in polyphenols, can prevent endothelial dysfunction. So, turning to cocoa, berries, grapes, apples, and other fruits and veggies packed with polyphenols instead of your typical comfort food goes a long way in keeping your heart healthy.

To Sum Things Up

Even though we might not always be aware of it, our eating habits are often deeply rooted in our emotional well-being. With this in mind, it’s no surprise why we might turn to comfort eating as a coping mechanism in times of stress, sadness, or nostalgia. 

Building a healthier relationship with food starts with understanding the underlying psychological factors that drive comfort eating. From there, you can recognize patterns and identify the triggers, which will help in developing alternative coping strategies. 

Just keep in mind that this is a journey of self-development. Instead of being strict and restrictive, focus on creating a balance when it comes to health. Mindful eating is the first step towards mental and physical wellness, but implement other techniques, including physical exercise and stress management.