As the period of nationwide lockdown drags on, people are reaching out more for comfort food. Making most of their time at home, you must have now noticed people indulging in-home cooking more and more. From cooking up a storm in the kitchen to posting them online, the situation is so that we are surrounded by future Gordon Ramsay,
almost! Amid the situation, if you notice you’ll find many of us are
actually reaching out more comfort foods, other than anything else. You might be craving for some blueberry pancakes or a warm bowl of egg-drop soup or even piping hot
biriyani all of a sudden-or maybe something else that falls under your list of comfort food. While you are surrounded by bad news and left with no other choice but to cook to fulfill your cravings-comfort food can just be the solution for you during this difficult time.
In simpler words, while we have no control over anxiety and uncertainty of the ongoing deadly pandemic, we can surely control what goes into your tummy, especially if it’s a bowl of ooey-gooey mac and cheese.
According to a published article of 2017 in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, there’s a clear link between comfort food and good memories and relationships. It clearly explains why you always reach out for a bowl of
congee whenever you’re under the weather since your mommy would prepare it for you and hence you tend to relate a simple dish as
conjee with safety, assurance, affection, and health.
Similarly, does mashed potato with crispy bacon crumbs on top take you back to some good times that you probably must have spent with your loved ones? Don’t care what people say about how an ‘ideal’ mashed potato should be, the scientists say something different about it. Don’t like the crust of your sandwich? Go ahead and cut it off!
“Comfort food is usually associated with foods that are high in sugars and fats, people sometimes demonise or feel guilty about them. With any type of coping mechanism and anything we’re using for comfort, we just want to have more than one. It’s okay to use food as a way to cope, but there are other ways to cope, too. If it’s food, great! And if it’s not, maybe take that moment to actively choose something else. Know that eating is a conscious choice and not something you have to feel guilty about. It’s something you can actively choose or choose not to do, “explained Brenna O’Malley, a registered dietitian and founder of The Wellful in a Bustle report.
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