‘Food glorious food’.
Yes, food is a means of nutrition, a vital aspect of our everyday life. But it is much more than that for a lot of people. It is comfort. It personifies what it means to be comforted. Being a busy, broke, college student can be testing at times but here are some of our favourite comfort dishes to get you through the rough days.
For the tough day:
Something quick and easy. Might I suggest a takeaway??? Or a fakeaway if we are looking for an at-home solution. After a long day that just won’t go right, a takeaway can be the answer. You couldn’t sleep the night before, woke up late, had a busy day and received loads of reading and assignments and then you remember you have no groceries. That is the moment to pick up the phone and order. A personal favourite is a cheeky Chinese. Something warm and tasty like chicken curry or a 4in1 will always hit the spot and make you feel better. If it’s been a really rough one, throw in those few spring rolls as a starter too! I can guarantee, not having to cook or clean will be an instant comfort.
For the low-day:
If you’re feeling low, sometimes you just need something in a bowl. Don’t ask me why, but cradling a bowl of warm soup or pasta is an instant mood booster. Soup is always soothing, throw in some brown bread and you’re good to go. The real star of the show is a pasta dish though! If you disagree you can stop reading now, but pasta is the ULTIMATE comfort food, whatever way you cook it. Perhaps the most comforting of the pasta delicacies is the uber-American ‘Mac&Cheese’. This is a really simple dish. You need pasta, milk, butter, flour and cheese. You can make it using different ingredients, but that is usually all I have to make it with and it always works out a treat!
For the cold day:
While our previous dishes mentioned work here also, something about chilli or Mexican food makes me think of heating up after standing at a bus stop in the freezing cold. All you need are ingredients such as tinned tomatoes, canned beans (whatever kind you want will work), onion, garlic, veggies, spices such as cumin, paprika and chilli powder, vegetable stock, rice and cheese on top. You can also add meat such as beef mince. Nothing will warm you up and comfort you like this after coming home from a long day. If you are less into spice and looking for just warmth, maybe a stew might be for you either!
For the ‘I don’t know why but I need comfort food’ day:
We all get those days. Nothing goes wrong but we are just not feeling it. For these, I think picking something you find comforting for your meals is essential to helping you feel a bit better. It is a form of self-care. This could look very different to everyone, but here are some further suggestions of general comfort foods to turn to; pizza (homemade or takeaway – it always hits), a roast dinner (not for me personally, but I know a lot of people love these and there is something about them that seems homely), a freezer mix (using whatever you have in the freezer and creating a masterpiece of Quorn chicken nuggets, potato waffles, veggie burgers and sausage rolls, sounds weird but oddly satisfying) or maybe something like pancakes (breakfast for dinner is always a yes).
I think that the big takeaway (pun intended) from this is that food can be comforting and, sometimes choosing a certain meal, can help you get through the day that bit easier. While some of these ideas may not be for you, you might think of some yourself to try the next day you need a little extra TLC!