Take comfort: You can have the food you grew up with


Maybe it's a slice of meatloaf, or a bowl of ice cream. Maybe it's a one-of-a-kind sandwich with ingredients that probably should be strangers to each other. But your family has eaten it for generations.

One thing is certain: Comfort food is personal.

Psychologist Gerard Musante, founder and director of Structure House, a residential facility in Durham, N.C., points out that the real issue is the unique experience associated with the food. "One person's comfort food could be meaningless to someone else," he says.

The belief that such foods have to be surrendered can be a real impediment to weight-loss plans, keeping them at bay until that mythical day when life is calmer and less comfort is needed.

But many experts say that you don't have to give up these old friends to lose weight. It just takes planning.

How much is too much?

Registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix calls them "eating memories."

"We eat them not because they taste so fantastic, but because of what they represent."

So how much comfort is too much?

"If they're the kind of comfort foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients, (the calories) could add up quickly," says Taub-Dix, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. She doesn't encourage people to avoid foods they love but recommends planning and portion control.

Dietitian Elizabeth Ward, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids, says including comfort foods in a plan can alleviate guilt, which many people feel after such indulgences.

"Guilt is not worth it," says Ward, who recommends simple modifications such as substituting ground turkey for ground beef or using whole or low-fat milk in recipes that call for cream.

A study by Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab shows that men and women differ in their preferred comfort food. "Males tended to prefer meal-related comfort foods, things like steak, hamburgers, pasta, casseroles and soup," says researcher Brian Wansink, who is on leave from Cornell while he works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Women, on the other hand, leaned more toward snack-related foods, such as potato chips, cookies and candy. Wansink attributes this to women's association of meal-type foods with preparation and cleanup, which they consider taking care of others, not themselves.

Dangerous indulgence for some

Not all experts agree that comfort foods can be part of a weight-loss plan. Musante, for example, does not recommend that those with serious weight or health issues partake of these foods, even in moderation. He says it creates the opportunity for people to feel like they blew it by going off their diet.

Others, like Wansink, say the danger lies in overeating. He says some dieters set aside one day a week in which they allow themselves to enjoy their favorite comfort foods. He believes this helps them stay on their weight-loss plan.

"In tracking weight loss, it appears to be a reasonably good idea, because you don't feel like you're giving up that food forever," he says. "For some of these people, it makes dieting more bearable."

If it's special rather than commonplace, it's worth looking forward to, Taub-Dix says, but look forward to "having a square of chocolate instead of the whole chocolate bar."

To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com


??? Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Disclaimer: References or links to other sites from Wellness.com does not constitute recommendation or endorsement by Wellness.com. We bear no responsibility for the content of websites other than Wellness.com.
Community Comments
Be the first to comment.