Feel-good foods can reduce stress. Burgers and fries do it for some folks, pizza for others. Chocolate cake and cookies do it for almost everyone. Those foods, along with appealing to the senses and satiating our hunger, also satisfy the soul.

While gender and age affect tastes in comfort foods, the common bond is the feeling they evoke - the warmth and love evident in Mother's homemade food or the celebratory spirit of ice cream after winning a match. According to a survey of about 1,000 adults conducted by the University of Illinois Food and Brand Lab, men and older people are more likely to prefer comfort foods that are warm, hearty and meal-related, such as steak, casseroles, and soup; while women and young adults tend to turn to snack foods such as chips, chocolate, and ice cream.

OLD FAVOURITES MADE NEW
One can eat the same old favorite foods, but a little bit of effort can make it healthier too. Here's how to make sure they don't pile on the pounds.

At Home
Bring back healthier versions of old standards using low fat cooking methods and reducing or substituting for high-fat ingredients.
Enjoy a fried-chicken dinner, but oven-fry a chicken breast.
Meat cuts with "loin" in their names tend to be lower in fat e.g. 75-80 gm of pork tenderloin, has a measly 5 gm fat.
Fish sticks are the seafood version of burgers
Pump up the flavor and the nutrition of your recipes by reducing the amount of meat, white rice or white flour pastas and adding extra vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
For example, instead of fat, use frozen orange-juice concentrate and garlic to stir-fry chicken (or beef) and vegetables. Just a few spoonfuls will add loads of flavor.
While pan-frying foods, keep a lid on the pot. Keeping the lid on decreases the need for more oil as it catches and returns the moisture.
Make gravies with skim milk, low-fat sour cream (hung curd) or chicken broth.
Refrigerate canned meats, soups, gravies and other canned foods containing fat. The fat will rise to the top and collect, so that you can scrape it off.
Halve large recipes or give away extras so you won't be faced with extras.

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In a Fast Food Joint
Order your pizza with double tomato and light cheese. Reducing the mozzarella by just one- third will save you 20 gms or fat per pie.
If you love French fries, always order large -cut ones, which don't absorb as much oil as shoestring or curly fries.
When nothing else will do but that childhood favorite, enjoy the dish in smaller portions or only on special occasions. That way you'll quell your cravings before they become too intense.
Most importantly, never eat foods out of their original containers.
Spice It Up
Liberal use of peppers and spices can create the chemical sensation of heat. The intense flavors compensate for the loss of fat and sodium and encourage you to slow down and savor your food, a key strategy to overeating. Strong flavors and aromas can also influence your sense of fullness and add an illusion of thickness to foods. Studies show that people who lose their sense of smell tend to overeat, while those who sprinkle their food with an aromatic flavoring or sniff scents through an inhaler throughout the day actually eat less and lose weight.
For a delicious dip, puree white beans with lemon peel and fresh herbs.
Mint, basil, coriander and other fresh herbs give a burst of fat-free flavor to liven up the simplest dishes and contain practically no calories.
Almost fat-free, beans lend richness and texture to warm and cold salads

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