The calendar tells me it is almost October although I’m not sure by the heat wave outside. Traditionally with fall comes the craving for comfort foods. Foods that ooze cheese, simmer in grease, and are coated in sugar. The other night over a dinner of chicken paella with sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and mushrooms I asked my husband, “Why can’t this be considered comfort food? Why do we think macaroni and cheese when we think of comfort food?” The term originated to define those foods we seek when we feel down, stressed, or just need a hug. I remember my grandmother would always make me a grilled cheese and vegetable soup when I felt sad, and to this day that memory brings a smile to my face. But the reality is that most of the foods we think of as ‘comfort foods’ soothe in the moment and then leave us feeling bloated and lethargic after, and when these habits are repeated time an time again can lead to chronic health issues.
That’s because we lose more energy than we gain if we make poor food choices. We expend more energy processing the food than the food gives us, and a low-energy cycle is created, says Meghan Telpner, Nutritionist, Director of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition and author of the UnDiet Cookbook
Mindfully making good food choices when we are stressed as opposed to mindlessly reaching for a cupcake or mac or cheese is the beginning to breaking the habit of traditional comfort food ‘hugs.’ History and memories create these cravings in our minds and we must understand that what we eat ultimately effects the ability of our mind and body to function.
So how do we redefine comfort foods? Here are 5 steps to remember as those chilly nights move in and visions of casseroles begin to dance in our heads:
Eat This, Not That – When your mind says ‘Mac and Cheese’ reach for Sweet Potato Gratin. Recognize your old habits and replace them with healthier versions. Craving a grilled cheese? Have one topped with avocado and tomato too or use goat cheese instead of traditional cheddar. Want the sugary sweetness of a cupcake opt for a bowl of raspberries – have you really tasted raspberries, there is perhaps nothing sweeter than those little pink berries of goodness.
Eat For Your Physical Health Over Emotional Needs – Recognize that your emotions are driving your food choices and instead learn about the foods that are best for your body in times of stress.
Eat To Replenish Nutrients – Stress depletes certain nutrients like Vitamin B and C and magnesium. Restoring and maintaining a healthy intake of these nutrients is crucial for sustaining energy, balancing mood and cognitive function, protecting immunity, and encouraging muscle relaxation. Some of the best sources of magnesium and Vitamins B and C come from including in the following foods in your diet:
- Avocado
- Cruciferous veggies including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and
kale (enjoy cooked, especially if you have thyroid problems) - Raw cacao and/or carob powder
- Nuts and seeds, including almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds
- Citrus, including oranges, grapefruits, lemon, limes
- Whole grains, such as quinoa, oats, and brown rice
Listen To Your Gut – We have ten times more microbes in our body than human cells. Studies indicate the balance of bacteria in our gut is crucial to our health and ability to respond to stress. We not only “digest” stress in our head and heart, but also in our stomach. Often referred to as the “second brain”, our gut is home to a part of the nervous system responsible for making the majority of serotonin, the happy protective hormone. With our gut having the ability to feel, sense, think, and remember much like our cognitive brain, it influences our mental state. A healthy gut helps us cope with stress by producing serotonin to regulate mood and cognitive function, digest food to absorb nutrients, support immunity, and more. A whole foods, plant-centric diet rich in fiber and beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods improves the quality and quantity of the good bacteria in our gut, and helps protect our body and mind during times of stress. Finding ways to incorporate these foods and practices into your regular diet will support the long-term health of your gut:
- Eat whole foods + lots of plants.
- Minimize processed, refined, packaged products, which don’t benefit the good bacteria and feed the bad bacteria.
- Focus on fiber, in particular: sweet potato, pumpkin, winter squash, cauliflower, artichoke, radicchio, chicory, onions, garlic, leeks, oats, green tip bananas, and legumes.
- Enjoy fermented foods like unpasteurized sauerkraut, kimchi, other pickled vegetables, and miso; kombucha; kefir and yogurt with “live active cultures” (sheep/goat’s milk or coconut).
Eat Mindfully – When you eat, truly sit down to eat, do not mindlessly grab a snack and plop on the sofa or race through a drive thru and eat in the car. Prepare your plate, look at your food, and notice each bite as it goes into your mouth. Sit down with no distractions – that means no phone, no TV, no screens – and simply eat. Being aware of your food will help you get in touch with the nutritional needs of your body and mind which will help you sense when your body is naturally hungry, when it is full, and what comfort it is truly craving.