Chips, Pizza, Chocolate: Study Examines What Makes Comfort Foods So Appealing - Video

Popular comfort foods such as chips, ice cream, pizza and chocolate may offer emotional satisfaction, but many contain high levels of fat, sodium and sugar while providing little dietary fibre. A new study suggests that most commonly preferred comfort foods are highly palatable, with a substantial proportion also classified as ultra-processed.

Published in the journal Nutrients, the study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), examined the nutritional composition of popular comfort foods among American adults.

Researchers analysed data from the UCLA Eating in America Study, a national online survey conducted between December 2019 and January 2020. The survey included 2,022 adults, of whom 1,760 provided analysable information about their preferred comfort foods.

Participants identified up to three foods they typically associated with comfort eating. Researchers assessed nutritional content using food composition databases and examined differences across age, gender and geographical regions.

The analysis identified 300 distinct foods and beverages, with chips, ice cream, pizza, chocolate and cookies emerging as the most popular choices.

The findings revealed that comfort foods contained an average of 223 calories per estimated serving, with approximately 39.2% of calories coming from fat.

Importantly, 60.7% of the foods were low in dietary fibre, while 29.7% were high in saturated fat and 31.7% were high in sodium.

Nearly 72.7% met the criteria for hyperpalatable foods, which contain combinations of ingredients that make them particularly appealing to eat.

Additionally, 42.7% were classified as entirely ultra-processed, while 36% were both hyperpalatable and ultra-processed.

Researchers also observed small differences in food preferences according to age, gender and geographical region.

However, the study assessed reported food preferences rather than actual consumption, limiting conclusions about dietary intake or health outcomes.

The findings highlight opportunities to improve the nutritional quality of popular comfort foods by reducing unhealthy ingredients and increasing dietary fibre.

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