Food and Thought Newsletter - October 2025

October 17, 2025

Share this article

Fall Is Here: What Is Comfort Food And Why Do We Crave It?
With cooler weather, cravings for feel-good, or “comfort foods” often also come. These are foods that we associate with warmth, care and comfort (thus the nickname). But many of us may not understand the reasons we crave these foods nor the impact they may be having on our physical and emotional health.
According to PsychologyToday, people eat comfort foods primarily for emotional relief, pleasure, and nostalgia, as these foods activate the brain’s “reward system” and often evoke positive memories. While this may sound like a positive strategy to evoke comforting feelings, there is a potential downside. The foods that many find comforting are also high in sugars and saturated fats, producing immediate emotional reward, but also potentially longer-term problems for our physical and emotional wellbeing. This is especially true if we eat them more than occasionally.

Gaining a better understanding of comfort foods, their pros and cons, can help us all to make more informed choices about our diets and our and our families’ overall health.


Emotion Regulation And Diet
Comfort foods are typically high in calories, saturated fats, and artificial sweeteners, such as chocolate, ice cream, pizza, and French fries. They provide a sensation of pleasure or temporarily make us feel better. New research is helping us understand why.
One finding points to a link between the consumption of so called comfort foods and the expectation of the benefit they will provide in managing negative feelings, reducing boredom, and enhancing cognitive performance. Because people expect these foods to make them feel better, they can!m Additionally, there is a physiological component in which the “reward system” (as mentioned above), is triggered, producing a temporary boost in mood. However, this boost is often short-lived and later can lead to feelings of fatigue, sluggishness and even mood disturbance (anxiety, depression, anger, impatience), and excessive consumption can lead to significant long-term health problems such as weight gain and obesity, poor cardiovascular health, and nutritional deficiencies—all of which play a role in poor emotional health.

The good news is, that science also shows that foods rich in nutrients, fiber and healthy fats can also boost our moods and lead to long-term positive effects on our physical and emotional health. Increasing these foods and decreasing the high-fat/highsugar foods can be an important step toward a healthy life span.

Ideas For Healthier Comfort Foods
Because so much of how we experience anything is connected to how we think about it, it can help to start with a positive attitude and a mindfulness
about what we are eating and why. Just stopping and taking a moment to really consider if we are eating out of hunger or emotion can be helpful in
mitigating unhealthy choices.

Another helpful practice is that rather than eating out of emotion, boredom or habit, to engage in activities –physical, cognitive, spiritual or social — that help to evoke positive emotions, without the added calories, fats and sugars.

You can also try keeping healthier snacks nearby so that when the cravings hit, you can satisfy them in more healthful way.

And finally, when you do make comfort foods, try to make them healthier, by using reduced-fat products, natural sugars in moderation (maybe cut the
amount you would normally use by 1/4), and adding healthy ingredients to the recipe (think mac and cheese with reduced fat milk and broccoli!).

This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program.
The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between.
nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program
Sources for this month’s newsletter have been taken from: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250714/Study-reveals-thepsychological-
reasons-for-comfort-eating.aspx;https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-of-choice/201609/5-reasons-whywe-
crave-comfort-foods?msockid=201c84dac00468390cb49159c12469b4;

< Older Post

 Newer Post >

Recent Posts

Food and Thought Newsletter - September 2026

September 1, 2026
Sleep and Nutrition: What’s The Connection? There are several theories about how and why sleep length and quality can influence what and how much we eat. It could be that we seek reward and comfort from food when we feel poorly, as we do after an interrupted night’s sleep. Or it could be that poor sleep may impact our taste perceptions, leading us to seek out hyper-palatable (but ultimately, unhealthy) foods for a quick energy hit. Though we don’t fully understand this connection, studies have shown that there is a correlation between poor or inadequate sleep and unhealthy eating choices. Evidence suggests that poor sleep can interfere with the balance of certain hormones (like leptin and ghrelin), resulting in increased feelings of hunger throughout the day, even after meals. This hormonal imbalance, resulting from poor sleep can also influence other health behaviors, like reduced physical activity, impaired decision making, and low tolerance for daily frustrations. So while we don’t know exactly why sleep is so important for these functions, we do know that it is! But just as poor sleep quality can affect dietary choices negatively, good sleep quality can promote better food choices. This is because good sleep reduces the likelihood that we will experience those physiological and psychological barriers that can tempt us to make quick, unhealthy food choices. After a good night’s sleep, we may be more likely to meal plan, cook home made meals rather that eat out or grab an unhealthy snack, and to generally be more mindful about what we are eating. So when we think about making healthier eating choices, we should also consider the ways in which our sleep may be helping or hurting us in achieving our dietary goals! Tips For Improving Sleep Quality and Duration: Maintain a regular sleep schedule (+/- 20 minutes) every night, including weekends. Avoid artificial light in bed - avoid watching TV, or using your phone or your computer. Aim for a quiet, dark, and comfortable space to sleep in. Develop a calming routine before bed, like listening to calming music or having a warm cup of non-caffeinated tea. Avoid caffeinated beverages after lunch time. Avoid substances like cigarettes, alcohol or over-the-counter Whole30 Chicken Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar 3 cloves of garlic 1 tsp. dry or Dijon mustard. 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approx. 6-8 pieces) Directions Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425° Place the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper in a mini chopper or food processor. Process continuously until thick and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and mix well to coat. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Roast until the chicken is lightly browned and registers an internal temperature of 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. This work is supported by the Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital Community Benefits Community Grant Program.. The Food and Thought Program works to promote awareness and provide short term counselling around the important link between nutrition and emotional health. For more information or for a referral to the program, please contact the Food and Thought Program at 781-599-0110. Sources for this month’s newsletter: https://www.foodandmoodcentre.com.au/2024/09/does-my-sleep-affect-what-i-eat/; https://www.research.deakin.edu.au/fmc/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2026/02/Sleep-Hygeine-MH-Consumer-Guides.pdf; https://www.thekitchn.com/whole30-chicken-265164

Food and Thought Newsletter - July/August 2026

July 10, 2026
Get summer BBQ tips, hydration advice, & healthy recipes like grilled veggie skewers. Join us for nutritious eating this season!

Farmer's Market Coupon Distribution - July 23

June 26, 2026
GLSS and Phoenix Food Hub are excited to announce this summer's Farmer's Market Coupon Distribution Day! FREE $25 Farmer’s Market Coupons will be distributed: When: Thursday, July 23, 2026 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Where: Phoenix Food Hub/Greater Lynn Senior Services 8 Silsbee Street, Lynn Who: Must be 60 years or older, Lynn residents with low income . Please bring your ID. Limit one booklet per person. Booklets contain five $5 coupons. Coupons can be used at the Lynn Farmer's Market and at over 40 other markets and farm stands throughout the North Shore. Coupons will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have questions about coupon distribution, please call Greater Lynn Senior Services at (781) 599-0110
Food and Thought newsletter page with article headlines and a fruit bowl photo

Food and Thought Newsletter - May 2026

June 3, 2026
Learn about nutrition assistance & tips for healthy eating. Join us for classes & support to improve your diet today!
Food and Thought newsletter with green header and two article boxes about nutrition, plus a fruit photo on the right.

Food and Thought Newsletter - June 2026

June 2, 2026
Learn about natural vs. added sugars & healthy eating tips. Join us for nutrition counseling & cooking classes!
A monthly newsletter titled

Food and Thought Newsletter - April 2026

April 3, 2026
Mental Health Across the Lifespan: Nutritional Needs by Age
Show More