1. Comfort Foods
Foods whose consumption evokes a psychologically comfortable and pleasurable state for a person

2. Comfort Foods
Specific foods consumed under a specific situation to obtain psychological comfort.
Familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants.
Childhood experiences are critical in forming life-long food consumption preferences and habits.

3. Comfort foods are different from “taste good” foods
Salty, greasy, sweet foods
40% of foods cited as comfort foods, did not fall into the “taste good” category of snacks
60% of people surveyed identified homemade, “healthy” foods such as soup, main dishes, and casseroles.

4. Food meets our basic need for nourishment but it also…
Is an instrument of cultural identity
Helps us experience abundance, nurturing, pride, and fulfillment
Allows us to share, renew, and pass on ethnic, regional, national identities.

5. Foods are used to…
Mark personal rites of passage and historical turning points
Celebrate days that are special to us-these important “event” foods are frequently personal and family comfort foods
                                                                                                                             

6. People eat foods that trigger happy past associations-these foods are termed “comfort food”
Physiological and psychological needs both affect taste and preferences for specific types of comfort-giving foods
Men, during childhood were conditioned to feel that “moms cooking” was a sign of love

7. Why a food becomes of comfort food
Past associations
My dad loved…therefore I think of him when eating…
My mom always gave me…when sick , therefore when I am sick, I want…

8. Age affects choice of “Comfort Food”
18-34 preferring ice cream and cookies
35-54 preferring soup, pizza, pasta
55 and over names soup and mashed potatoes

9. Women
Preferred snack related items
Chocolate
Ice Cream
Cookies

10. Males Preferred warm, hearty, meal-related foods
Steak, casseroles, soups, pizza, pasta
Identified ice cream as important food

11. What are some of your favorite comfort foods?
Pizza
Ice Cream
Casseroles
Soup
Candy