Revealed: The ultimate winter comfort food - and scientists say it's even more satisfying than a Sunday roast
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With Britain in the midst of an Arctic blast, many of us will be trying to keep warm with a week of comfort foods. While pies, lasagnas, or Sunday roasts might be your first point of call, scientists say that another classic tops the list. According to research by Walnut Unlimited, a bowl of soup is the ultimate comfort food.
![[While pies, lasagnas, or Sunday roasts might be your first point of call, scientists say that another classic tops the list]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/12/94034619-0-image-a-16_1736770080350.jpg)
Based on people's brainwaves, soup is as comforting as a hug from a loved one or snuggling under a cosy blanket - and even more soothing than a warm bath or curling up with a good book. Many people turn to a bowl of steaming soup when it is chilly outside or they are battling a cold, but scientists wanted to actually measure how it makes us feel.
![[For days when heating up soup on the hob seems much more appealing than making a meal from scratch, soup was found to be as much of a comfort food as a Sunday roast or shepherd's pie]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/13/12/94034623-0-image-a-17_1736770100520.jpg)
They showed 49 people a short video to make them feel like they had had a bad day, featuring things like train cancellations, traffic jams, poor weather and a phone running out of battery. Then researchers then fed the volunteers soup, while measuring their brain activity using 14 electrodes attached to their scalp.
The comfort seen in the brain after people ate Heinz cream of tomato soup was as good as a hug, the results showed. Based on people's brainwaves, soup is as comforting as a hug from a loved one or snuggling under a cosy blanket - and even more soothing than a warm bath or curling up with a good book.
While pies, lasagnas, or Sunday roasts might be your first point of call, scientists say that another classic tops the list. This was worked out by getting a friend or family member to hug each volunteer for six seconds, and monitoring the same electrical brain activity.
