Cold comfort

Vegetarian Times, June, 2002

Not all the changes Americans have made since September 11 have been healthy, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) reports. Almost 20 percent are eating more "comfort foods" like fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and almost 19 percent are eating more sugary desserts. "Unfortunately, most comfort foods are high in calories and fat, but low in the nutrients and protective phytochemicals we need to reduce our risk of chronic diseases, like cancer, and keep a healthy weight," says Melanie Polk, AICR's director of nutrition education.

"Many of these foods come from a time when the relationship between diet and disease was not well known, but now we know these foods are not good nutritional choices." The council says Americans should eat smaller portions, decreasing "animal protein and increasing plant foods both in recipes and on the plate."