Diet and comfort food: when taste memory becomes an ally

Diet and comfort food: when taste memory becomes an ally
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Lets start from here: following a diet is difficult not because of hunger, but because of what we lack
As weve seen, taste isnt just a matter of the palate : its an emotional archive. Flavors are linked to moments in our lives, and often become emotional anchors . This is why a dish can soothe or warm the heart: it reactivates deep emotional memories , recorded in the limbic circuits of the brain.
This is where the key to making a more sustainable diet lies: consciously using comfort foods , the flavors of childhood, as tools for well-being .
Science explains it to us: taste helps us regulate emotions
As described in several neuroscientific studies, taste and smell are not just peripheral senses, but directly activate the limbic system , particularly the amygdala (emotion regulation) and the hippocampus (long-term memory).
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology (Herz, 2016) shows how smells and tastes are powerful inducers of autobiographical memory and intense affective states, precisely because they avoid rational cortical pathways and act directly on deep brain structures.
Furthermore, neurogastronomy research (Shepherd, 2012) highlights that foods associated with positive childhood experiences (comfort foods) can reduce cortisol and improve mood, especially in conditions of stress.
Practical solution: reinvent your comfort foods to stay true to your path
We often think that going on a diet means abandoning everything that once brought us comfort at the table. But this is a stretch.
The solution is not to erase, but to rewrite.
Take a dish from your childhood. Maybe Sunday lasagna, homemade hot chocolate, or plain risotto. And ask yourself:
👉 Can I keep its emotional soul, but lighten its structure?
Concrete examples:
1. Baked pasta → version with grilled vegetables, ricotta, and wholemeal breadcrumbs.
2. Chocolate pudding → with plant-based milk, bitter cocoa, corn starch, and natural sweetener.
3. Grandmas legume soup → with toasted whole wheat bread and a drizzle of good olive oil.
4. Apple pie → with less sugar, oat flour, cinnamon and seed oil.
This way you are not fighting against your past , but you are taking it with you , turning it into an ally.
💡 Strength lies in meaning
Every time you eat a dish linked to your memories, you nourish not only your body, but also the deepest part of your self . If that dish reassures you, calms you, makes you feel less alone, it can reduce the risk of impulsive giving in . It helps you approach a diet not as a punishment , but as a journey of personal care.
If you truly want to change your eating habits, dont cut ties with your past. Bring it with you. The flavors of childhood, intelligently reworked, can become the key to staying consistent and experiencing your diet as an act of love, not deprivation.
Sources:

1. Herz et al., 2016 (Frontiers in Psychology / Brain Sciences)
An extensive review confirms that smells and tastes evoke more vivid, emotional, and ancient autobiographical memories than visual or auditory stimuli. They can increase positive emotions, reduce stress, and suppress cravings.

2. Shepherd, 2012 (Neurogastronomy)
Neurogastronomer Gordon Shepherd explains how taste engages deep brain circuits, linked to emotions, appetite, and memories . This interdisciplinary field also studies how certain childhood flavors reduce stress and improve mood.

3. Buchanan, 2003 (Olfactory Memory, learning)
Studies on the role of the amygdala show that this structure is essential for creating and retrieving olfactory memories linked to emotions, indicating a direct pathway between smell, feeling, and memory.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov