KFC Comfort Food Survey.

As creatures of comfort, Americans are continuing to take stock in the hottest trend this season – home-style food. “Whether it’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes, a grilled cheese sandwich or a hot fudge sundae, Americans are enjoying comfort foods this new year,” states food expert, Bonnie Tandy Leblang, RD and contributor to Parade’s annual “What America Eats” issue.

Comfort Food Hits Peak Season

A new survey commissioned by KFC finds that Americans are turning to the familiar tastes of comfort food to appease their palates during the winter months. Survey results confirm that seasonal factors and a stressful environment increase the likelihood that Americans will consume comfort food. In fact, seven out of ten people surveyed chose winter as the peak season for comfort food. Furthermore, studies suggest that comfort food satisfies certain emotional cravings and is a common way to cope with stress.

“People don’t just eat when they’re hungry but when they’re tired, bored, stressed, anxious or lonely,” explained Leblang. “Chances are, when it’s Mom’s meatloaf, a big bowl of mashed potatoes, a bucket of KFC fried chicken or a slice of homemade apple pie, there’s a certain emotional hunger that gets satisfied, too – that’s comfort food.”

When asked about the emotional gratification of comfort foods, respondents ranked the following:

• Gives me a good feeling so I can carry on 50%
• Takes my mind off the problem 38%
• Reminds me of good times in the past 27 %
• Makes me feel safe 18%
• Reminds me of Mom 9%

State of mind was polled as the strongest factor motivating people’s desire for comfort food. More than half of those surveyed identified their emotional state to be the leading trigger for craving comfort food – almost double the total of those who selected hunger.

“People are gravitating to the foods they associate with less stressful times – like their childhood,” noted Leblang. “This helps to explain why hearty, home-style foods like fried chicken, meatloaf and macaroni and cheese have become the foods du jour.”

Interestingly, more women than men turn to comfort food during times of stress (81% to 64%), bad weather (39% to 27%), relationship problems (36% to 19%) and tragedy (27% to 12%). In contrast, more men than women turn to comfort food in times of celebration (45% to 31%).

As Americans retreat to their homes, they are forgoing fancy foie gras in favor of more familiar foods. Three-fourths of respondents said they are most likely to eat comfort food in front of the television and in the privacy of their home.

Impulse Research conducted this national survey on the Internet among a random sampling of 1,019 American men and women aged 20 and above. The sample was drawn from the CyberPulse™ online panel with a 3 percent margin of error.