Why Do You Crave Comfort Food? The Science Explained

Comfort food holds a special place in our hearts, often intertwined with memories of family gatherings, relationships, cultural practices, or even specific periods in our lives. Craving comfort food goes beyond the taste; it's a connection to emotional and psychological comfort that can be influenced by various factors. Let's delve into the intricate reasons behind our yearning for comfort food and how it impacts our well-being.

The Brain Chemistry Behind Comfort Food Cravings

Our relationship with comfort food often starts with a sense of emotional or psychological solace while eating. Craving comfort food can be connected to alterations in brain chemistry that occur when we indulge in certain foods. Over time, this experience creates an emotional bond with particular dishes, making them our go-to sources of relief.

For instance, the carbohydrates in foods like bread, pasta, and mashed potatoes can promote the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to feelings of happiness and relaxation. This is why you might reach for mac and cheese after a tough day—your brain is literally seeking a chemical boost.

Dopamine, often called the "pleasure chemical," is released when we eat foods we find rewarding. According to research published in Frontiers in Psychology, dopamine and serotonin are the neurotransmitters most closely linked to feeding behavior and mood regulation.

Interestingly, comfort isn't always tied to the food itself. Some individuals find solace in the act of eating, whether it's a homemade meal or a quick takeout order. The cultural and sensory aspects connected to eating—the warmth of a home-cooked dinner, the ritual of sitting down to a meal—can be responsible for this tendency.

How Mood Disorders Affect Food Cravings

Our connection with food can be severely impacted by mood disorders, which frequently result in the development of food-based coping mechanisms. People who suffer from mood disorders like anxiety or depression may turn to comfort foods as a way to get some solace from their distress.

Dopamine and other neurotransmitters are released as a result of eating certain meals, and they have the ability to temporarily reduce unpleasant emotions and give one a sensation of pleasure. However, this relief is short-lived—the initial mood boost is often followed by a crash, which can create a harmful cycle of cravings, guilt, and more stress.

For more on the connection between what you eat and how you feel, see our guide on food for mental health.

The Role of Personal Experience and Memory

Our individual experiences greatly influence our choices of comfort foods during moments of heightened emotion. The foods we turn to during these times often become a form of self-medication, leading to patterns of chronic emotional eating.

Think about it: many comfort foods are connected to childhood memories. Maybe it's your grandmother's chicken soup when you were sick, or the cookies your parent baked after a hard day at school. These memories are strongly tied to shared food experiences, creating deep emotional associations that persist into adulthood.

The influence of behavioral contagion can't be overlooked either—adults' emotional eating tendencies can shape children's habits from a young age. Additionally, our natural preference for sweet or savory foods plays a role in determining what we reach for when stressed.

Gender and Age Differences in Comfort Food Preferences

Studies suggest that gender and age play a role in shaping comfort food preferences:

Males tend to lean towards hearty, warm meals like casseroles, steaks, soups, and pasta dishes.

Females often find comfort in snack-based options such as ice cream, desserts, chocolate, and other sweets.

Research published in Physiology and Behavior titled "Is comfort food actually comforting for emotional eaters?" found that emotional eaters often find greater comfort in the taste of food than non-emotional eaters. Interestingly, those who don't engage in emotional eating are more likely to eat less when stressed.

Breaking the Comfort Food Cycle: Healthier Strategies

Both excessive and restrictive comfort eating can serve as coping mechanisms, offering a reduction in stress levels. But there are healthier approaches that don't require eliminating comfort foods entirely.

Modify rather than eliminate. Adapting traditional comfort foods to healthier versions is a viable solution. For instance, if ice cream is your comfort food of choice, consider halving your usual portion and replacing it with frozen fruit. If savory options like steak or rice are your preference, try incorporating a side of vegetables to control the portion.

Add rather than subtract. From clinical experience, modifying eating patterns by adding healthier components proves more successful than attempting to eliminate comfort foods altogether. You can still enjoy the foods you love while making small improvements.

Practice mindful eating. Learning to distinguish emotional hunger from physical hunger can help you make more intentional choices. Our guide to mindful eating covers techniques for building awareness around your eating habits.

Have healthy options ready. When stress hits, you're more likely to reach for whatever is convenient. Keeping nutritious, satisfying meals on hand can help. Our meal plans provide portion-controlled options that are ready in minutes—so you have a healthy choice available even on your most stressful days.

For a comprehensive look at foods that support both health and satisfaction, explore our guide to the 100 best foods for weight loss.

When Comfort Eating Becomes a Problem

While occasional comfort eating is normal, it may become problematic when:

It becomes your primary coping mechanism. If food is your only strategy for managing stress, anxiety, or sadness, you may benefit from developing additional coping tools.

It leads to chronic overeating. Regularly eating past the point of fullness in response to emotions can affect your physical health over time.

It creates a cycle of guilt and shame. If eating comfort food consistently leads to negative feelings about yourself, this pattern can worsen the very emotions you were trying to soothe.

Understanding that brain chemistry changes and the placebo effect intertwine to influence the efficacy of comfort foods can help you approach your eating habits with more self-compassion. The goal isn't perfection—it's developing a healthier relationship with food over time.

The Bottom Line

Comfort food cravings are deeply rooted in biology, psychology, and personal history. The combination of dopamine release, serotonin production, stress hormones, and emotional memories creates a powerful pull toward certain foods during difficult times.

Rather than fighting these cravings entirely, the most sustainable approach is to understand them, modify your comfort foods when possible, and develop additional coping strategies for stress. All foods can fit into a balanced meal pattern—even comfort foods—when consumed mindfully and in moderation.

Crystal Zabka-Belsky, MS, RDN, CSSD, LMNT, LDN

Resident Dietitian, Clean Eatz Kitchen

FAQ

Why do I crave comfort food when stressed?

When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, which increases appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods. Eating comfort foods triggers the release of dopamine and temporarily boosts serotonin levels, creating a short-term sense of relief and pleasure. Over time, your brain learns to associate these foods with stress relief, making cravings stronger during difficult times.

Is craving comfort food bad for you?

Occasional comfort food cravings are normal and not inherently harmful. The issue arises when comfort eating becomes a chronic coping mechanism, leading to patterns of emotional eating that can affect your weight and overall health. The key is moderation—enjoying comfort foods occasionally while developing other healthy stress-management strategies.

How can I stop craving comfort food?

Rather than eliminating comfort foods completely, try modifying them to be healthier—add vegetables, reduce portion sizes, or swap ingredients. Address the underlying triggers by developing non-food coping strategies like exercise, calling a friend, or practicing mindfulness. Keep healthy, satisfying meals readily available to reduce impulsive eating during stressful moments.

Do men and women crave different comfort foods?

Research suggests gender differences exist in comfort food preferences. Males tend to prefer hearty, warm meals like steaks, casseroles, and soups. Females often gravitate toward snack-based options such as ice cream, chocolate, and desserts. However, individual preferences vary widely based on personal experiences and cultural background.

Why does comfort food make me feel better emotionally?

Comfort food triggers multiple feel-good responses. Carbohydrates promote serotonin production, creating feelings of calm and happiness. Fat-rich foods can have a numbing effect that decreases emotional stress responses. Additionally, many comfort foods are tied to positive memories—like a parent's cooking—which provide psychological comfort beyond the food itself.