Food that make you feel good Food is life; it gives us the nourishment we need to stay alive and be healthy.

Usually, we eat because we are hungry or need energy.

Brian Wansink, a professor at University of Illinois,

say we also eat certain foods because they make us feel good,

and remind us of happy memories. Wansink calls this kind of food comfort food.

For some people, ice cream is a comfort food. For others,

a bowl of noodle soup makes them feel good. How does a food become comfort food?

Professor Wansink believes that we connect food with important times,

feelings, and people in our lives. “When I was a child,

my mother made a delicious soup; I love it. Now I often eat this soup when I am tired or worried,

and it helps me feel better,” says one of Wansink’s coworkers.

Do men and women choose different comfort foods?

Wansink’s research at the University of Illinois says ‘Yes’

In his study, the favorite comfort food for both men and

women was an ice cream. After this, men usually preferred hot,

savory foods like soup or noodles. Women liked sweet things

such as chocolate and cookies. Men and women like to eat comfort foods

when they are happy, but women eat these foods more

when they are sad or worried.

Not at all comfort food is junk food. About 40 percent of the comfort foods

in Wansink’s study were healthy main dishes or soups and vegetables.

It shows, says Wansink, that a comfort food can taste good and be food for you.