Comforting Food

What’s your go-to comfort food?

I’m not a believer in “comfort food.” I don’t really seek out foods to feel better. Oh, yes, sometimes, I really enjoy that peanut butter cup or that ice cream cone, but I don’t feel comforted; I just enjoy it.

There are two strong examples for my avoiding this idea. One was a friend who, years ago in conversation, talked about how he used food as a reward when he accomplished a task, and how he used it as comfort when he was feeling down. Food was his constant companion. And he told me this when he was at his highest weight ever since I had known him.

My late wife also talked about comfort food. She liked creamy, thick, gooey, and sweet to help her feel better. She would dump chili on mashed potatoes (Mexican shepherd’s pie?) for example. And there were cookies, and cakes, and ice cream. She always claimed she was not a diabetic (“My AIC says I’m not!”) but everything else—weight, glucose number, non-healing wounds—attested to the opposite. When I was asked, “Was she committing suicide by food?” I had to answer yes.

So you can see why I avoid the term and the concept. Fortunately, I can take solace in the thought of a job well done, or speak to friends if I’m feeling down; I don’t need food to literally burden my body, which may explain why I’m at my lowest weight in decades….