Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (2024)

By

Elaine Lemm

Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (1)

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 01/20/23

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In the depths of winter or just on a grey, rainyday - and there are plenty of those inBritain - or only when you feel you want a boost, there are many ways to lift your mood, not least eating comfort foods. Studies have shown that eating foods which are comforting, wholesome and nourishing can significantly alter the way you feel.

The memories usually associated with these typesof food often come from childhood, so no surprise that a Sunday roast or sticky puddings (also referred to as nursery puddings) will feature on most Britain'scomfort food list.

  • The Sunday Roast

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (2)

    Undoubtedly, the traditional Sunday Roast comes high on any comfort food list. In Britain, sitting down to Sunday lunch is a century's old custom and so has many, many associations with childhood. The cooking of the lunch may havewaned in recent times but not the eating of it; pubs throughout the land are full to bursting with families enjoying a good roast and Yorkshire Puddings.

  • 02 of 09

    Fish and Chips

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (3)

    An absolute classic of favorite British foods is a plate of British Fish and Chips (with or without the mushy peas). Whether by the seaside or (a great tradition) eating them outdoors straight from the paper, fish and chips are a national institution and no wonder they are an all-time comfort food.

  • 03 of 09

    Curry - No Matter Which

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (4)

    The popularity of curry is not a newcomer in Britain; it has been eaten here for centuries from when it was brought over during the British involvement in the Indiansubcontinent. Curry now can be from anywhere on the globe, and all are welcome comfort foods despite their non-indigenous origins.

  • 04 of 09

    A Full English Breakfast

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (5)

    For the sake of your heart, it may not be a good idea to eat this breakfast every day, but a full English now and again is a real treat so certainly deserves to be on this list.

    Continue to 5 of 9 below.

  • 05 of 09

    Comforting Food on the Go

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (6)

    In need of quick comfort, then reach for a pie or a pasty. The perfect to hold in your hand for a quick snack or can even be served for dinner is the Cornish pasty. Once the food of choice of Cornish tin miners, this old favorite is eaten and enjoyed all over the UK.

  • 06 of 09

    Hot or Cold You Can't Beat a Pork Pie

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (7)

    Be they hot or cold, one of the top pies for a quick, comforting snack has to be the pork pie. They have been a British favorite for centuries and are one of the first types ever made and always will be as they are so delicious.

  • 07 of 09

    Marmalade Sponge Pudding - The Perfect Nursery Food

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (8)

    Steamed or baked and usually served with custard are the nursery puddings of childhood. There isn't a child who does not have memories of these warm, wholesome puds bathed in a silky, custard sauce. Thestuff of dreams with a marmalade pudding right at the top of the list.

  • 08 of 09

    Make it a Crumble

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (9)

    For the ultimate in comforting foods, it is hard to beat a fruit crumble. Soft, tasty fruit compote topped with a buttery crisp crumble hits all the right spots. Finish it off with ice cream, and you will feel even better.

    Continue to 9 of 9 below.

  • 09 of 09

    Turn Leftover Bread Into the Best Pudding

    Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (10)

    What morecan be asked of leftovers than to make them into one of the best puddings, ever?Stale bread with the addition of milk, cream, vanilla and dried fruits turns quickly and easily into a luscious, comforting dessert with its built-incustard. Perfection.

Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Wahl DR, Villinger K, König LM, Ziesemer K, Schupp HT, Renner B. Healthy food choices are happy food choices: Evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):17069. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-17262-9

Boost Your Mood With These Top Comfort Foods (2024)

FAQs

What's your go to comfort food best answer? ›

It's the food you like having to feel good. Could be something like fish and chips, mac and cheese, spaghetti, a hot dog, some noodles, a dosa, or maybe Snickers or some good old paratha.

What is the food that makes you feel good in comfort food? ›

Here are some dishes often associated with comfort food: Pizza: the mix of dough, cheese, and tomato sauce is the perfect blend of carbs, fat, and protein, making our brains happy. French fries: they're crispy and salty, reminding us of carefree gatherings with friends and family.

What is my comfort food examples? ›

What Are the Top 10 Comfort Foods?
  • Burgers & French fries.
  • Cake and cheesecake.
  • Candy.
  • Chicken soup.
  • Grilled cheese.
  • Grits.
  • Ice cream.
  • Mac 'n' cheese.
Apr 11, 2023

How does comfort food make you feel? ›

Many individuals rely on comfort foods when they're depressed, anxious, or simply in need of a little mood boost. Comfort foods can evoke coziness and comfort as they are frequently linked to carefree memories.

What foods are good for anxiety and depression? ›

Examples include leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard. Other sources include legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety.

What comfort food helps when feeling sad? ›

Comfort foods, the study found, actually do make us feel less sad. So what were the top seven items on my poll? Mac and cheese hit the No. 1 spot, followed by beef stew, apple pie and ice cream, chicken and dumplings/chicken pot pie, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, bread pudding and fried chicken.

What foods make you feel peaceful? ›

Research has linked foods like avocado, oranges, or oysters to reduced feelings of anxiety. Drinks like water and 100% fruit juice can also be beneficial if you have a lot of anxiety and stress.

What comfort food boosts mood? ›

12 Mood-Boosting Foods: Eat Your Way to Happiness!
  • Dark chocolate. Rich in flavonoids, dark chocolate has been linked to increased serotonin levels which may help alleviate symptoms of depression. ...
  • Bananas. ...
  • Berries. ...
  • Oily fish. ...
  • Nuts and seeds. ...
  • Oats. ...
  • Spinach. ...
  • Avocados.
Oct 12, 2023

What is America's #1 comfort food? ›

Become a Jetsetter
  • 1 Chicken and Waffles.
  • 2 Spaghetti and Meatballs.
  • 3 Chicken Fried Steak.
  • 4 Mac and Cheese.
  • 5 Hotdish.
  • 6 Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.
  • 7 Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.
  • 8 Matzo Ball Soup.
Mar 1, 2020

What's your all-time favorite comfort food? ›

Our 20 all-time favorite comfort foods
  • 1 of 20. Chicken noodle soup. Joshua Resnick / shutterstock.com. ...
  • 2 of 20. Chicken pot pie. Charles Brutlag / shutterstock.com. ...
  • 3 of 20. Chicken tenders. ...
  • 4 of 20. Chili. ...
  • 5 of 20. Chocolate chip cookies. ...
  • 6 of 20. Cinnamon buns. ...
  • 7 of 20. Cornbread. ...
  • 8 of 20. Fries.
May 24, 2024

Why do people say comfort food? ›

Comfort food is the name given to food that we simply associate with good. It gives us great pleasure and joy because it evokes positive emotions in us. Comfort food makes us feel good, it activates the reward area of the brain, which can improve mood and reduce stress when we eat these foods, in the moment.

What is your go to food meaning? ›

Defined as food that gives emotional comfort to the one eating it, these tend to be favorite foods of childhood, or linked to a person, place or time with which the food has a positive association.

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