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Daily Mirror

Lifestyle

Sarah Lumley

Top mood-boosting comfort foods for Brits include chocolate, cake, biscuits - and cheese

Aldi Team GB

Chocolate, cake and biscuits are the most common comfort foods Brits reach for to boost their mood, according to research.

The poll of 2,000 adults found a fifth will have a full English fry up when in need of a little pick-me-up.

And while a bacon sarnie hits the spot for 21%, 14% will make themselves feel better with a full roast dinner.

But one in ten turns to comfort foods daily and 74% will always opt for foods that are high in sugar.

Despite this, more than half acknowledge what they consume can in fact make them feel worse – with over half (57%) feeling full of regret after eating certain foods.

The research comes as Aldi partners with Team GB nutritionist, Nigel Mitchell, to champion the importance of your diet on your mood and everyday life – creating bespoke, low-cost recipes to suit all the family.

One in seven will turn to a full roast dinner to make themselves feel better (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

The supermarket has been a sponsor of Team GB since 2015, proudly supporting every athlete with helpful initiatives to keep them fuelled, like providing £25 in vouchers to spend in Aldi each month.

Nigel said: “It’s fascinating how our bodies react to certain foods, and when our mood is low, we do tend to turn to things that give us a sense of comfort.

“While there’s nothing wrong with having a treat from time to time, it’s also really important that we are aware of the link between our diets and mood, to ensure we incorporate foods that can have a positive impact too.

“Over the years I’ve worked with many Olympic athletes – including those in the recent Winter games – advising them on how the foods they eat support their physical training, as well as how they can affect cognition, mood and overall wellness.

“Foods like oily fish, nuts and seeds are among some of my top recommendations for foods that benefit both mind and body. Packed full of nutrients, they are also all great ingredients for slow energy release, while things like brightly-coloured fruit and vegetables can really help with blood flow around the body – including the brain.”

The study also found that for 31%, their mood lift lasts for up to an hour – but 17% said their boost only lasts a few minutes.

The most likely time people will turn to certain foods is when they are feeling sad or down (52%), while 48% will do it when they are feeling stressed.

And, according to the OnePoll study, more than four in ten will use the weather as an excuse to eat away their feelings.

But despite more than half admitting their choice of comfort food is unhealthy, 69% claim it’s just too expensive to eat more healthily – even though they would like to.

When it comes to what goes in their basket, more than half (56%) are more likely to be guided on price than what’s good for them.

Two-thirds (67%) feel a healthier diet “comes at a price”, even though 64% would like to eat more nutritious meals.

But many of our comfort foods are high in sugar - and won't make us feel better for long (Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket/Getty Images)

A fifth said they don’t have the time to cook healthy dishes, while one in four (24%) simply lack inspiration.

Julie Ashfield, managing director of Buying at Aldi UK, said: “At Aldi we are committed to providing the best possible quality and value to all our customers – which is exactly what these recipes are also designed to do.

“ The recipes all include ingredients that Nigel regularly feeds into the nutrition plans of Team GB athletes, and can all be found in your local Aldi store – showing we don’t have to be an Olympian to eat like one.

“Alongside the recipes, our Get Set to Eat Fresh programme also aims to promote the benefits of eating fresh and healthy food. Working with our Team GB ambassadors, we have so far helped teach more than two million children about the importance of a well-balanced and nutrient-rich diet.”

Gemma Thickett, Advice and Information Service Manager at Mental Health UK, added: “Eating well can help our emotional and physical wellbeing.

“Eating “well“ can mean we are a healthy weight, we manage our weight in the long term, and we eat the food necessary to keep us healthy, such as fruit and vegetables – making eating an enjoyable experience.”

The “Happy Recipes” feature five nutrient-rich and well-rounded recipes – to find out more, visit here.