comfort foods do not mean fatty or sugary calorie bombs . They are simply any items that evoke sentimentality for the consumer 2 . So someone ’ s famous family casserole might have the same effect as someone else ’ s cherished Cosmic Brownie .
A box of Kraft for dinner or a bowl of Lucky Charms in the morning are not meant to disengage us from the present , as some critics believe . These products prosper because they bring a little bit of joy into our current existence . They can create meaning in our lives 3 , perhaps even helping to “ alleviate existential threat ” 4 .
This is not something to scoff at , with adolescents exhibiting more depressive and anxious tendencies than ever before 5 . Americans are also on more mental health medication as well ( much of which is over prescribed , abused or ineffective ) 6 .
Maybe we are turning to drugs in haste , when a simple
PB & J might do the trick . I believe food has the power to heal , not just physically but psychologically .
Some foods truly can comfort us , as their moniker suggests . They make us feel connected when we ’ re lonely , uplifted when we ' re sad . So put away your phone and enjoy your sandwich , served with the reminder of all that it represents .
2 Merriam-Webster . Merriam-Webster .
3 Juhl , Jacob , and Clay Routledge . " Nostalgia Bolsters Perceptions of a Meaningful Self in a Meaningful World ." The Experience of Meaning in Life ( 2013 ): 213-26 .
4 Sedikides , Constantine , Tim Wildschut , Jamie Arndt , and Clay Routledge . " Nostalgia : Past , Present , and Future ." Current Directions in Psychological Science 17.5 ( 2008 ): 304-07 .
5 Twenge , Jean M ., Brittany Gentile , C . Nathan Dewall , Debbie Ma , Katharine Lacefield , and David R . Schurtz . " Birth Cohort Increases in
Psychopathology among Young Americans , 1938 – 2007 : A Cross-temporal Meta-analysis of the MMPI ." Clinical Psychology Review 30.2 ( 2010 ): 145-54 .
6 " Inappropriate Prescribing ." Http :// www . apa . org .