Comfort food good or bad?

A poll of 2,000 adults found that almost eight in ten will turn to their favourite meals when they need a little pick me up.

The same study found that on average adults will turn to comfort food twice a week, with stress being the most common reason. Feeling down came second while cold or wet weather, worries, anxiety and tiredness also sees people tucking into their favourite comfort food.

At the top of the list compiled by OnePoll.com, was pizza followed by the classic British dish fish and chips. The full list of the top 20 comfort foods are below:

  • pizza
  • fish and chips
  • bacon sandwich
  • full English breakfast
  • burger and chips
  • roast dinner
  • Beans on toast
  • bangers and mash
  • pasta dish
  • scrambled eggs on toast
  • macaroni and cheese
  • shepherd’s pie
  • beef stew and dumplings
  • dippy eggs and soldiers
  • jacket potato
  • ham, egg and chips
  • toad in the hole
  • egg mayo sandwich
  • poached egg and avocado on toast
  • curry

They all sound pretty tasty to us but, aren’t all the foods listed above, ones we should be avoiding when trying to eat a healthy diet?

We spoke to Streamline Surgical Lead Dietician, Nicole Berberian, to find out the truth.

“The reason people return to these foods is because they are the home cooked, traditional foods our Grandparents and Parents would have made and that is what adds the ‘comfort’ to these foods.

“The good news is that comfort foods do not have to be unhealthy.  In fact the foods that made the top 20 UK comfort foods are all ones that can be most nutritious, particularly if you cook them yourself from scratch with quality ingredients. Adding lean cuts of meat, trimming the fat, a small portion of the carbohydrate with a side of vegetables or salad and you’ve a perfect bariatric meal.”

Head over to our Facebook page to share your favourite comfort food recipes.