Nearly three in four popular comfort foods have something in common, researchers find

From salty snacks to sweet treats, researchers examined America's favorite comfort foods to uncover their nutritional profiles and how preferences vary across age, gender, and region.

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Background

Why do individuals grab a bag of chips, ice cream, or a chocolate bar to feel better? Comfort eating refers to eating in response to stress or negative emotions.

The estimated prevalence of comfort eating ranges from 15% to 46% in general population samples and from 47% to 71% in clinical groups with obesity or eating disorders.

Concern is growing because of health risks associated with excessive saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium, along with concerns about ultra-processed foods. Further research is needed to characterize comfort foods and more nutritious alternatives.

About the study

The researchers conducted the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Eating in America Study, a national online survey administered between December 2019 and January 2020.

The survey recruited 2,022 adults aged 18 years or older through Qualtrics, using United States census-based demographic quotas. Participants were asked to name up to three comfort foods and to answer questions about their age, gender, and region of residence. Of the respondents, 1,760 provided analyzable comfort-food data.

Two trained research assistants independently categorized responses using a standardized protocol. They obtained nutritional information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) databases and, when necessary, from brand-specific nutrition labels.

Nutrients assessed included calories, protein, carbohydrates, total sugars, dietary fiber, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Nutrient quantities per typical serving were compared with recommended daily values.

Foods were classified as hyperpalatable (HPFs) based on established criteria regarding combinations of fats, sugars, sodium, and carbohydrates. To evaluate industrial food processing, the Nova classification was used, with foods classified as ultra-processed when 100% of calories came from Nova Group 4.

The researchers calculated descriptive statistics and evaluated demographic differences using two-sample t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square tests.

Study results

Of the 1,760 respondents with analyzable comfort-food data, 1,228 (69.8%) identified at least one food that could be nutritionally assessed.

Foods generally considered more nutritious, including nuts, fruits, eggs, vegetables, and salads, also appeared among the 50 most frequently nominated groups.

The 300 distinct comfort foods contained an unweighted average of 223.1 calories per estimated serving. Each food contributed equally regardless of nomination frequency. On average, 39.2% of the calories came from fat, while 18.3% came from sugar. Dietary fiber averaged 1.5 grams per serving.

Many foods provided moderate amounts of several nutrients, but 60.7% were low in dietary fiber. By comparison, 29.7% were high in saturated fat, and 31.7% were high in sodium. In addition, 23.3% of the foods were high sources of total fat, while 17.0% were high in total sugar. The analysis measured total rather than added sugar, using a UK reference intake of 90 grams per day.

72.7% of the comfort foods studied met hyperpalatability criteria. The most common classification was the high-fat, high-sodium "meats/meal" type, identified in 54.3% of foods. Foods high in fat and sugar accounted for 21.3%, while those high in carbohydrates and sodium represented 11.0%. Some foods met multiple hyperpalatability criteria.

Under the study's strict definition of ultra-processing, 42.7% of foods qualified as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), with all calories attributed to Nova Group 4. This threshold excluded foods deriving less than 100% of their calories from ultra-processed components, potentially underestimating the prevalence of ultra-processing. Of all assessed foods, 36.0% were both hyperpalatable and ultra-processed.

All constituent foods within the four most popular groups, namely chips, ice cream, pizza, and chocolate, met both classifications. Pasta was the only food among the top 10 that did not meet either distinction.

Demographic differences were statistically significant but generally small.

Conclusions

Popular comfort foods in the United States vary considerably but share common preferences, particularly chips, ice cream, pizza, chocolate, and cookies. Many provide limited dietary fiber, while substantial proportions contain high levels of saturated fat and sodium.

These findings suggest that promoting healthier versions of popular comfort foods may be more practical than focusing exclusively on demographic groups, but the study did not test this approach.

Source:

Journal reference:

• Chiu, D. T., Cummings, J. R., Martinez-Steele, E., Lopez, A. T., Chellis, J., Tan, J., Smith, K. M., Panda, S., Finch, L. E., & Tomiyama, A. J. (2026). The Nutrition Facts of Comfort Foods in the United States: Results from the Census-Matched Eating in America Study. Nutrients. 18(19). DOI: 10.3390/nu18193257, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/19/3257