在黑暗寒冷的冬季，我們喜歡吃一些讓人開心的食物。比如，甜食、熱乎、溫性的飯菜，因為它們會讓我們有飽腹感，從而御寒。但我們為什么在一年中其它時間，也喜歡享用含碳水化合物多、高糖的食品？本文討論人們喜歡安慰食物的原因。

詞匯：food 食物

Warning! This article could be bad for your health! As many of us endure the long, cold winter, we are tempted to tuck into some filling and fattening foods. This is sometimes because it helps us to keep warm and to give us energy, but often it’s because we need something to cheer us up. And, for a short while at least, it makes us feel better – which is why we call it ‘comfort food’.

The type of food that makes us feel good varies from person to person – it depends on your palate and the association you have with particular tastes, textures and smells. But probably the most universally popular edible comforter is the biscuit. It’s thought this go-to snack often brings back happy memories of childhood and family, as well as giving us that all-important sugary pick-me-up.

Moving on from the sweet and sugary snacks, famous chef and food writer Mary Berry knows about the kind of meals that warm us up and give us comfort in the winter. She told BBC Food magazine: “I think it becomes natural to think about comfort food as soon as the weather chills and the nights become darker.” She suggests soup and warming foods as feel-good winter treats.

The other thing about comforting dishes like mac and cheese, noodles or pizza is they don’t require culinary skills in the kitchen; they are easy to make so you can get your fix of feel-good food quickly. However, we often feel so good that we eat too much, and even though we know the ingredients are high in carbohydrates, sugar or salt, we continue to pig out. Psychologist Shira Gabriel told the BBC: “We feel guilty because we don’t realise that what’s happening is our minds [are] finding a way to trigger a really positive emotion and they’re making us eat that food to do so.” 

Maybe we should take comfort from the fact that eating certain food just makes us feel happy. But, for some people, eating any kind of food brings joy, warmth, happiness and comfort.

詞匯表

tuck into 痛快地吃，盡情地吃
filling 容易填飽肚子的，易使人飽的
fattening 使人發胖的
comfort food 安慰食物，開心食品
palate 味覺
taste 味道
texture （食品）質地
smell 氣味
edible 可食用的
snack 零食
sugary 含糖的，甜的
sweet 甜的
chef 廚師
soup 湯
warming foods 溫性食物
dishes 菜品
mac and cheese 奶酪通心面
noodles 面條
pizza 比薩餅
culinary skills 烹飪技術
carbohydrate 碳水化合物
salt 鹽
to pig out 大吃大喝，狼吞虎咽

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What does eating biscuits make many people think about?

2. True or false? Everyone likes the same type of comfort foods.

3. According to chef and food writer Mary Berry, what are feel-good winter treats?

4. Why does our mind make us eat more comfort food?

5. What types of food are comfort foods high in?

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. I find eating a bowl of porridge for breakfast very _______, and I often don’t need to have lunch.

filing                            filled                               filling                              fills

2. A strong cup of coffee is the perfect _______ when I’ve been busy studying all day.

go-to snack                 pick-me-up                     feel-good                       trigger

3. When I go supermarket shopping, I often buy some sweet _______ for the kids.

meals                          carbohydrates                soup                               treats

4. Sorry you failed your exam, but _______ in knowing that lots of other students did the same.

comfortable                 comforting                      take comfort                   comfort

5. When I was on holiday I tried some fried grasshoppers, but I didn’t find them very _______.

feel-good                     snack                             warming foods                tasty

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. What does eating biscuits make many people think about?
It’s thought eating biscuits often brings back happy memories of childhood and family.

2. True or False? Everyone likes the same type of comfort foods.
False. The type of food that makes us feel good varies from person to person – it depends on your palate and the association you have with particular tastes, textures and smells.

3. According to chef and food writer Mary Berry, what are feel-good winter treats?
Soup and warming foods are feel-good winter treats.

4. Why does our mind make us eat more comfort food?
According to Psychologist Shira Gabriel, our minds are finding a way to trigger a really positive emotion, and they’re making us eat comfort food to do so.

5. What types of food are comfort foods high in?
Comfort foods are high in carbohydrates, sugar and salt.

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. I find eating a bowl of porridge for breakfast very filling and I often don’t need to have lunch.

2. A strong cup of coffee is the perfect pick-me-up when I’ve been busy studying all day.

3. When I go supermarket shopping, I often buy some sweet treats for the kids.

4. Sorry you failed your exam, but take comfort in knowing that lots of other students did the same.

5. When I was on holiday I tried some fried grasshoppers but I didn’t find them very tasty.