proper comfort food

By Fiona Kirk

What is ‘comfort food’?  The word comfort is defined as ‘a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint’ so I suppose it follows that ‘comfort food’ is food that promotes that state.  I have also heard it referred to as

• ‘Food that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy ’ - think of creamy mashed potato, thick slices of hot buttered toast, a tin of Heinz tomato soup...
• ‘Emotional medicine' - mum’s roast beef with all the trimmings, beans on toast with enough in the pot for ‘seconds’, fish pie...
• ‘A gastronomic security blanket ’ -mince and potatoes, macaroni cheese, a warm chocolate croissant... and, my favourite,
• ‘A big culinary hug’ - rhubarb crumble and custard, lemon meringue pie, a bacon roll with a dollop of HP Sauce... 

However you define it, the ultimate aim surely has to be that you feel a lot happier while you are eating it than you did before and with luck that feeling of contentment stays with you for a while.  But there’s never just one food or dish that hits the spot is there?  It all depends on the moment and level of discomfort.   

...but hang on a minute...

Call me a cynic, but I doubt the nutritional attributes of the comfort food or foods of choice are high on the list of priorities.  “I’ve had a really bad day at work, my boyfriend has dumped me and I’ve got a rotten cold, think I’ll treat myself to a huge plate of steamed fish and  vegetables on a bed of brown rice”  Don’t think so!  More likely a night in front of the TV watching a few re-runs of Friends, with a huge tub of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Chocolate Chip...

What is it about comfort food? Why do we take such pleasure in it, why do we need it and why is it that when the chips are down, simply nothing else will do? You may have come across the ‘serotonin’ connection.  Good levels of this neurotransmitter (the brain’s message carriers) help regulate mood and food intake, while low levels can lead to gloom and food cravings.  So a diet rich in foods that promote the production of serotonin could certainly go a long way to reducing the ‘need’ for comfort foods. 

But surely food on its own cannot cure or prevent all the different negative feelings that threaten to overwhelm us sometimes.  If you’re sad, far from home, frustrated, exhausted, stressed or ill you need a ‘culinary hug’ don’t you?  But one man’s idea of comfort food heaven is another man’s gastronomic hell so there has to be more to it.  Of course there is!  Eating is about pleasure it’s not just about providing essential fuel.  It can be therapy, it can console, soothe, calm, mollify, relax.  It evokes feelings of nostalgia.  Just the sight, smell or taste of certain foods can transport us back in ‘tardis’-quick time to places and times locked in our memory banks.

However, the scientific explanation as to why ‘comfort foods’ are so often sugary, salty, fatty and carbohydrate-rich has to be addressed if the gastronomic security blanket is not to become ‘extra large’!!

The Science Bit...

Our serotonin levels are directly related to the amount of tryptophan (an ‘essential’ amino acid found in certain protein foods) in the blood and the presence of certain vitamins and minerals (helpers). As blood and brain levels of tryptophan rise and fall, so does the level of serotonin.  Tryptophan can be ‘the runt of the litter’ when it comes to competing with the other amino acids to get from the bloodstream into the brain, but a carbohydrate-rich meal creates a diversion allowing tryptophan to take the main stage. 

So, the secret is a regular intake of good quality proteins for the tryptophan content and make sure that your diet is rich in carbohydrates to help it into the brain.  But not just any old carbohydrates.  Sure, a dish of pasta, a pile of mashed potatoes, a bag of kettle chips, a couple of doughnuts can help to create the diversion, the seratonin levels rise and you feel satisfied and happy - but for how long? 

These carbohydrates release their sugars too quickly and the serotonin level drops rather faster than you would like (often prompting the need for another ‘hit’ which leads to you reaching for another doughnut, packet of crisps or mars bar to get the ‘happy’ feeling back).  For the longer-lasting warm and fuzzy feeling its got to be complex carbohydrates which release their sugars slowly eaten alonside some good quality tryptophan-rich protein.  And, because we’re moving all too fast towards winter, ‘warming’ foods should be at the top of the shopping list.

Continued....