The top ten comfort foods that cheer Britain up
What food do you reach for when you feel sad or slightly out of sorts and need some cheering up?
If you chose ice-cream, you are in good company as it is Britain’s favourite comfort food.
A new study revealed that one-third of those surveyed voted for ice cream as the best medicine for a low mood. Ice cream makes them feel happy because it reminds them of fond childhood memories.
Here is the list of the top 10 comfort food in Britain:
- Ice cream
- Roast dinner
- Fish and chips
- Strawberries and cream
- Barbeque
- Apple crumble
- Pizza
- Steak and chips
- Curry
- Spaghetti Bolognese
The study also showed that three-quarters of those surveyed said that eating certain types of food can boost their mood.
We often choose what to eat subconsciously based on how we’re feeling. There is a well-known link between food and mood; for example a reduced appetite can be an early warning sign of problems such as depression. Likewise, when we are stressed, we might comfort eat by choosing food that cheers us up because we associate it with happy memories.
According to a noted psychiatrist,
“Food is much more than just taste and sustenance, it connects us to family traditions, cherished moments and loved ones.”
Why then do so many of us choose ice cream as our comfort food? That’s because desserts are often the foods we choose to celebrate, to treat or spoil ourselves. Thus we are more likely to connect them with happy moments from our lives and eat ice cream when we need some cheering up.
So which ice cream flavour would you pick???
(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons and Pixabay under Creative Commons licence)
