By: Laurie Edwards for Fibroids1We don’t need Valentine’s Day candy to remind us of the age-old stereotype that women love chocolate. In fact, turning to a tub of ice cream to soothe wounded feelings is practically a time-honored ritual. But as it turns out, there’s science behind what we eat when we’re craving consolation and, not surprisingly, it’s gender-based.
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Think Healthy Comfort
Think before you grab – taking time to prepare a meal or snack will make you feel better than that mindless Snickers bar you just inhaled
Be creative – fresh fruits and smoothies are healthy, satisfying alternatives to get that sugar your crave
Think about your happiest meals – eating foods that remind you of family or celebrations or stir up warm memories will help meet that psychological craving when you’re feeling down
Let yourself off the hook – sure, you’re nursing a bad break-up and the empty ice cream container is proof of that, but if you do over-indulge, skip the guilt. It certainly isn’t going to help you feel better.
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In terms of comfort food, men would rather have a juicy steak than a dripping sundae, and that’s just the beginning of the gender divide. According to a new study published in Physiology and Behavior, not only do men crave different foods than women, but the reasons behind their comfort foods are different, too. It is when men feel most satisfied or happy that they seek out their comfort food of choice. In addition, the debate over gender and comfort food isn’t simply sugar versus protein. Another study at the Food Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that women want quick, easily prepared food and snacks, while men opt for heartier, homemade meals that require preparation.
Together, both studies speak to the idea that it isn’t really the food we’re after when we need psychological comfort, it’s the feeling that particular foods provide that we crave.
Food Lab researchers discovered that many comfort foods preferences are formed in childhood and often triggered by conditioned responses. The Food Lab also found that nearly 40 percent of foods deemed “comfort-giving” were beyond the norm of snacks and desserts; think bowls of pasta, marinated steaks and steaming bowls of mashed potatoes.
So, if a mother’s homemade meal comforted someone as a boy, it might help explain why he would rather eat a hearty meal rather than a candy bar.
Understanding the differences between men and women’s view of food might help researchers better understand just how human emotion influences food choices, especially in terms of age and social pressures.
“In the past, comfort food was considered primarily as a strategy to alleviate stress, sadness and other negative emotions. Ensuring emotional well-being is still the goal, but pleasure and positive emotions can also determine food choice, especially in men,” said Dr. Jordan LeBel, associate professor at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.
LeBel’s team compiled data from a Web-based survey they administered to 277 men and women asking them to name their favorite comfort food and, more interestingly, how they felt both before and after eating it.
Researchers found that younger women tended to turn to sweets, but men and older adults received more satisfaction from eating their favorite – and not necessarily sweetest – foods.
So what accounts for the gender differences in terms of post-consumption feelings? This is where external factors come into play. The women who indulged in high-calorie sweets like candy or ice cream reported feeling guilty afterwards – but the men and older adults who chose foods other than sweets and snacks didn’t.
“Women are more sensitive to health and diet issues for various reasons including social pressure,” said LeBel.
And of course the reasons why people turned to food in the first place are huge factors in the emotional experiences surrounding comfort food. Since men are more likely to turn to comfort foods when they are excited and not depressed, it makes sense that they experience further positive feelings afterwards.
So, is there good news for women seeking solace? Sure. If sweetness is what you’re after, consider fresh fruit salads or similar options that produce the sugar taste, but not the high-calorie guilt.
