Food
What Are Comfort Foods—and Why Do We Crave Them?
Comfort foods go beyond taste—they offer emotional reassurance, cultural identity, and nostalgia. Learn why we crave them and how they connect us.
What Are Comfort Foods—and Why Do We Crave Them?
Food & Beverage | The Knowledge
Comfort foods are more than just meals—they are emotional touchstones. From a bowl of chicken noodle soup to a plate of mac and cheese, comfort foods provide familiarity, warmth, and reassurance during moments of stress, illness, or nostalgia.
While comfort foods vary by culture and personal experience, their purpose is universal: they make us feel grounded, safe, and connected.
What Defines Comfort Food?
Although comfort foods differ from person to person, they often share common characteristics:
- Familiar and nostalgic – Foods tied to childhood or family traditions
- Warm and filling – Soups, casseroles, stews, and baked dishes
- Emotionally satisfying – Comforting beyond physical hunger
- Rich in carbohydrates or fats – Which can influence mood-regulating chemicals in the brain
These foods are rarely chosen for convenience alone—they’re chosen because they feel like home.
The Science Behind Comfort Foods
There is real science behind why comfort foods make us feel better. Carbohydrate-rich foods can increase the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and promote a sense of calm.
Warm foods also play a role. Studies suggest that warmth can enhance feelings of safety and emotional comfort, which may explain why soups, stews, and hot meals are commonly craved during stressful times or colder seasons.
In short, comfort foods don’t just satisfy hunger—they support emotional well-being.
Comfort Foods Are Cultural
Every culture has its own version of comfort food, shaped by tradition, availability, and shared history:
- United States: Mac and cheese, meatloaf, mashed potatoes
- Mexico: Tamales, pozole
- Italy: Pasta, lasagna
- Japan: Ramen, curry rice
- India: Dal with rice
What makes these foods comforting isn’t the recipe—it’s the memory and meaning attached to them.
Why We Turn to Comfort Foods
People often crave comfort foods during moments of emotional or physical vulnerability, including:
- Stress or anxiety
- Illness or fatigue
- Homesickness
- Major life changes
- Celebrations and family gatherings
In uncertain moments, familiar flavors help restore a sense of normalcy and emotional balance.
More Than a Meal
Comfort food isn’t about indulgence or nutrition alone—it’s about connection. These dishes link us to people, places, and moments that shaped us.
That’s why comfort foods endure across generations, cultures, and changing trends.
Comfort food doesn’t just feed the body. It feeds the moment.
Related Reading
- Why We Crave Comfort Foods – Smithsonian Magazine
- Why Comfort Foods Comfort – Psychology Today
- Why Comfort Foods Make Us Feel Better – Harvard Health
- Comfort Food and Cultural Identity – National Geographic
- The Science Behind Comfort Foods – BBC Future
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Food and Beverage
No Plane Ticket Required: Italian-Inspired Beef Recipes for Watch Parties and Weeknights
The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand teams with chef Marcia Smart to share Italian-inspired beef recipes like Beef Tagliata and a quick 30-minute Beef Ragù.
When Italy is on the world stage, the cravings tend to follow. And if you’re planning a watch party (or just trying to make a weeknight dinner feel like a small event), the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand is leaning into the moment with a simple message: you can bring those Italian flavors home—no airfare required.
In a new recipe push, the brand (funded by beef farmers and ranchers) partnered with chef and influencer Marcia Smart to spotlight Italian-inspired beef dishes that are designed to be big on flavor, easy to share, and quick enough for real-life schedules.
Why Italian flavors work so well for gatherings
Smart says cooking trends and pop culture are part of what keeps home cooking fun—especially when people are gathered around the TV.
“When people gather around the TV, food becomes part of the experience and leaning into trends and pop culture keeps cooking fun,” Smart said. She also notes that beef and Italian flavors are consistently two of the most popular topics in her cooking classes, in part because they deliver crowd-pleasing dishes that also bring high-quality protein and nutrients to the table.
Recipe spotlight: Beef Tagliata (restaurant vibes, minimal effort)
If you want something that feels like it came from an Italian restaurant but doesn’t require a long prep list, Beef Tagliata is the move.
The dish centers on a seared steak—either Strip Steak or Boneless Rib-Eye Steak—that’s sliced and served over fresh arugula, then finished with balsamic vinegar and shaved parmesan.
It’s quick, it plates beautifully, and it works family-style—which makes it a strong option for:
- Watch parties
- Date-night-at-home dinners
- Busy weeknights when you still want something “nice”
Recipe spotlight: Quick Beef Ragù (comfort food in 30 minutes)
For the comfort-food crowd, the brand also highlights a Quick Beef Ragù that aims to deliver classic Italian red-sauce flavor without the all-day simmer.
In this version, Ground Beef cooks with ingredients you’d expect in a traditional Italian red sauce, but the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes.
The best part: it’s easy to customize and flexible on how you serve it. The release suggests pairing it with:
- Pasta
- Polenta
- Spaghetti squash (if you want a lighter base)
Where to find the recipes
These dishes—plus more Italian-inspired ideas—are available at BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
If you’re building out a game-day spread or just want to keep weeknight cooking interesting, this is one of those recipe collections that hits the sweet spot: familiar flavors, approachable steps, and enough flexibility to make it your own.
Source: PRNewswire
Food & Drink on STM Daily News serves up quick, local-to-national bites on what to eat, what to try, and what’s trending—new restaurant openings, limited-time menus, product drops, and easy recipes you can actually make on a weeknight. If it’s worth a taste (or a watch-party spread), you’ll find it here. https://stmdailynews.com/food-and-drink/
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Food and Beverage
Purely Elizabeth Launches Purely Glow Granola, Its First Beauty-Inspired Limited Edition
Purely Elizabeth debuts Purely Glow Salted Vanilla Pistachio Granola, a limited-edition, beauty-inspired blend with collagen peptides and biotin, timed to New York Fashion Week.
Purely Elizabeth is stepping beyond the breakfast bowl and into the “glow-from-within” conversation.
The Boulder-based natural foods brand announced the launch of Purely Glow Salted Vanilla Pistachio Granola, a limited-edition flavor that blends its signature crunchy clusters with beauty-inspired functional ingredients—including collagen peptides and biotin. The drop is timed to New York Fashion Week, signaling how quickly wellness brands are borrowing cues from beauty culture: trend-driven, ritual-focused, and built for social.
Why a “beauty granola” now?
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve seen the shift: wellness content is increasingly framed like skincare—daily routines, “non-negotiables,” and ingredients people swear by.
Purely Elizabeth points to that momentum in the announcement, noting that TikTok posts featuring collagen increased by 70% over the past year compared to the previous two years. At the same time, pistachio has had its own breakout moment, with 55,000 pistachio-related TikTok posts in the most recent year—a 104% increase over the prior 24 months.
Translation: consumers aren’t just shopping for flavor anymore. They’re shopping for function, aesthetic, and ritual.
What’s inside Purely Glow Salted Vanilla Pistachio Granola
On the flavor side, Purely Glow is positioned as an elevated, dessert-leaning blend built around a salty-sweet profile:
- Organic oats
- Roasted pistachios
- Real vanilla bean
- A hint of sea salt
From a nutrition and formulation standpoint, the granola is:
- Gluten-free
- Sweetened with coconut sugar
- Baked with coconut oil
- A good source of fiber
- Enriched with collagen peptides, coconut water powder, and biotin
Founder and CEO Elizabeth Stein says the concept comes from a personal place—bringing together “nourishing food and daily beauty rituals,” and leaning into the idea that what you eat can be part of how you care for yourself.
A collab that takes it beyond the grocery aisle
To push the launch into lifestyle territory, Purely Elizabeth is partnering with Cha Cha Matcha for a limited-time “Purely Glow” menu at all locations.
The menu includes:
- Pistachio Matcha Lattes (hot or iced)
- A Purely Glow Yogurt Parfait layered with coconut yogurt, matcha chia pudding, and topped with Purely Glow Granola
The brand is also hosting “Glow Up” pop-up events to bring the product to life:
- Cha Cha Matcha Flatiron (NYC): February 12, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., plus the weekend
- Cha Cha Matcha Beverly Hills: February 20–22
Availability and price
Purely Glow Granola launches February 12 for $7.99 and will be sold until it sells out. It’s available exclusively via:
- PurelyElizabeth.com
- TikTok Shop
- Cha Cha Matcha locations
A brand move that fits the moment
Purely Elizabeth has been around for 16 years and says it has remained the #1 granola brand in the natural channel for more than eight consecutive years—so this isn’t a reinvention as much as a strategic expansion.
The bigger takeaway: food brands are increasingly marketing like beauty brands. Limited editions. Ingredient storytelling. Collabs. Pop-ups. Social-first launches.
Purely Glow is a clean example of that playbook—built around a trending flavor (pistachio), a trending function (collagen/biotin), and a cultural moment (NYFW) that makes the product feel like more than breakfast.
For more details, visit purelyelizabeth.com.
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Last Updated on February 20, 2026 by Daily News Staff
National Muffin Day has a way of sneaking up on us—one minute it’s a normal Friday, the next you’re suddenly thinking about blueberry crumbs, warm cinnamon tops, and whether “just one” counts if you also grab one for later. This year, Corner Bakery Cafe is leaning all the way into the holiday with a deal that’s as straightforward as it is tempting: any muffin for $2 on Friday, February 20, all day, at participating locations.
Corner Bakery Cafe president Erin Hasselgreen summed up the brand’s approach in the announcement: “If there’s a day to celebrate muffins, it belongs at Corner Bakery. We bake them fresh every day… and on February 20 we’re making it easier than ever to celebrate with $2 muffins all day long.”
Why National Muffin Day still matters
Food holidays can feel a little gimmicky—until they give you a reason to try something new, revisit a favorite, or turn an ordinary day into a small tradition. National Muffin Day is one of those low-stakes celebrations that fits almost any schedule:
- Breakfast on the go (no fork required)
- A mid-afternoon snack that feels like a reward
- A sweet pick-me-up that doesn’t need a special occasion
Corner Bakery is betting on that exact vibe: muffins as a comfort food that’s familiar, easy to share, and always welcome.
The $2 muffin lineup: classic, seasonal, and “grab an extra” flavors
Corner Bakery says the deal covers all muffin flavors, which means you can keep it classic or go seasonal depending on what your local cafe has available. The brand highlights a mix that hits the usual favorites and the cozy, winter-to-spring crossover cravings:
- Blueberry
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon Crumb
- Cranberry Orange
- Banana
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you’re the type who likes to make National Muffin Day a mini tasting flight, the $2 price point makes it easy to mix and match—one safe pick, one “why not?” pick.
Muffins are timeless for a reason
In the release, Hasselgreen calls muffins “one of those timeless bakery items that never go out of style… comforting, versatile, and always satisfying.” And honestly, that’s the whole appeal. Muffins sit right in the sweet spot between pastry and snack—less fussy than a layered dessert, more satisfying than a cookie, and flexible enough to pair with coffee, tea, or a quick breakfast run.
They also travel well, which is why they’ve become a go-to for:
- Morning meetings
- School drop-offs
- Road trips
- Office snack tables
- “I’ll eat later” moments that turn into “I’m eating now” moments
The details (so you don’t get surprised at the register)
Here’s what to know before you head out:
- Deal: Any muffin for $2
- When: Friday, February 20 (valid all day)
- Where: Participating Corner Bakery Cafe locations
- Note: Pricing and availability vary by location
Corner Bakery recommends confirming participation by contacting your local cafe.
A little National Muffin Day game plan
If you want to make the most of it, here’s a simple way to approach the day:
- Pick your “must-have” flavor (the one you’ll regret skipping)
- Add one seasonal wildcard (pumpkin cheesecake fans, this is your moment)
- Grab a second muffin for later—because future-you always appreciates past-you
About Corner Bakery Cafe
Corner Bakery Cafe is a fast-casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and catering across 18 states and Washington, D.C. The brand traces its roots to a neighborhood bakery that started in downtown Chicago in 1991, built around fresh ingredients, artisan breads, and a “warm and comfortable place” feel.
For more information, visit cornerbakerycafe.com or follow Corner Bakery Cafe on social media.
Corner Bakery Cafe (official website)
PR Newswire (press release distribution)
National Day Calendar (National Muffin Day listings)
Explore STM Daily News Food & Drink for crave-worthy recipes, restaurant and brand news, seasonal picks, and the trends shaping what we’re eating and sipping right now. Start here: https://stmdailynews.com/food-and-drink/
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