Comfort food was made for times like these. Gained a pound or two? Don’t be hard on yourself; after all, there’s a pandemic going on. Shamelessly sinking into a big bowl of macaroni and cheese (the boxed variety, of course) is one of the few pleasures we have left. This train of thought might sound familiar to you. The coronavirus pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives, including our eating habits. The healthy-food trend that took root in recent years is reversing, at least for the time being. Shopping habits have shifted in favor of old processed favorites like frozen pizza, toaster waffles and canned spaghetti — convenience foods with long shelf lives that are designed to deliver pleasure.
No judgment here. Money is tight in many households, and busy parents are putting breakfast, lunch and dinner on the table in between video-conference meetings. And, admittedly, many convenience foods taste good on some level, and they makes us feel good (at least in the short term).
But you might want to save room for something green on your plate, if you can find it at the store. That’s because a growing body of research is showing that our food choices don’t just affect our waistlines. What we eat also may affect our mood and behavior — and not in the “I can’t believe I ate a dozen cookies in one sitting” sort of way. Rather, there may be something in the food we’re eating (or not eating) that’s influencing our state of mind.
