Why do we tend to eat “comfort food” in the winter?

2024-02-04 2024-02-04T11:34:31Z

ArabiaWeather - Pasta and cheese dishes, desserts, warm soups, and hot chocolate with marshmallows represent ideal companions on winter days, as these delicious items and other foods make us feel comfortable in cold climates, but why do we especially miss them in the winter, when we do not have the same passion? in summer?

Why do we tend to eat "fast food" more in the winter than in the summer?

Clinical nutritionist Hanin Al-Salem explains that “comfort food” refers to a type of food associated with psychological comfort and entertainment, and this term is used to refer to foods that people generally eat to improve mood or relieve stress and anxiety or even boredom.

Convenience foods are often high in starches, fats, and sugars, and include pastries, chocolate, sweets, fried meals, and fast food, as examples.

Reasons why we eat fast food in the winter:

Comforting meals help add a touch of pleasure, as food releases the hormones dopamine and serotonin in large quantities, which are linked to a momentary feeling of happiness, according to expert explanations.

Consumption of “comfort food” is considered a response to emotional stress, as people who experience negative feelings tend to eat unhealthy food as a way to meet their immediate needs, even if it is for a short period, which is known as “emotional eating.”

In winter, people are exposed to less amounts of sunlight, due to the shorter daylight period, which leads to a deficiency in vitamin D, which plays a role in the production of the hormone serotonin. With this decrease in hormone production, individuals notice changes in their mood and energy, which makes seasonal depression. A common phenomenon in the winter, and in the face of these mood swings, people resort to eating “comfort food” that improves the mood immediately.

How to deal with the craving for junk foods in the winter?

To deal healthily with the desire to eat comfort foods, clinical nutritionist Hanin Al-Salem advises resorting to foods that make you feel warm, such as healthy soups such as lentil or vegetable soup, as they help moisturize and warm the body and fill the stomach, thus reducing the feeling of “emotional hunger.”

Al-Salem explains that it is a great idea to include seasonal foods such as sweet potatoes, chestnuts, or corn as snacks instead of high-fat foods, as they provide a good amount of healthy carbohydrates and fiber that help keep you feeling full for longer.

She stresses the importance of breaking the vicious cycle of emotional eating by replacing resorting to comfort foods with another habit, such as practicing a hobby or sport that the person loves, as these activities increase the secretion of endorphins, which improve mood and reduce stress.