Carried out by market research company OnePoll.com, 44% of the 2,000 adults surveyed said they “feel more anxious now than they did five years ago,” with 29% admitting they are “more likely to turn to comfort food than they were in the past.”
It also found that the average adult turns to comfort food twice a week, citing stress as the most common reason followed by “feeling down,” having a cold or wet weather, and worries, anxiety and tiredness.
With 94% craving “something simple,” the top 20 meals to turn to for comfort are as below:
- Pizza
- Fish and chips
- Bacon sandwich
- Full English breakfast
- Burger & chips
- Roast dinner
- Beans on toast
- Bangers and mash
- Pasta dish
- Scrambled eggs on toast
- Macaroni and cheese
- Shephard's/Cottage pie
- Beef stew and dumplings
- Dippy eggs and soldiers
- Jacket potato
- Ham egg and chips
- Toad in the hole
- Egg mayonnaise sandwich
- Poached egg and avocado on toast
- Curry
Managing director of Clarence Court, Adrian Gott, said: “Today we’re more focussed than ever on health and wellbeing, but that doesn’t mean we don’t crave a comforting meal reminiscent of our childhood.
"Eggs provide the perfect solution, as they’re both high in protein but also easy to prepare – with dippy eggs and soldiers a national favourite.''
The research also revealed that Brits seek comfort in a cup of tea, favourite music or book, home cooked food, and cooking and baking, which help to “unwind.”
44% also said they “typically find comfort and reassurance when making a trip home to see their family” – the same amount visiting loved ones at least once a week – with one in six visiting home more often now than they have in the past.
Psychotherapist Christine Webber explained: “Simple meals which transport us back to childhood can really cheer us up, and help remind us of less complicated times.
"We are leading increasingly stressful lives, so it’s vital for us to access some comfort when we need it – and what better way to find it than by cooking and eating something simple that Mum used to make. For me, scrambled eggs on buttery toast invariably do the trick!"