Contemporary foods – Can they become new comfort foods or simply mimic them?

This paper aims to provide a broad view of how contemporary foods have altered the conception of comfort foods. Can ‘green’ foods be comfort foods? Moreover, are modern trends producing new comfort foods? To answer these questions, we conducted qualitative research which included semi-structured interviews with 20 Brazilian participants. It was shown that cultural predilections, health concerns, self-awareness, past experiences, familiarity, satiety, and taste may explain why comfort food preferences vary from healthy to unhealthy foods, and from traditional to modern foods. The psychological manifestation of comfort was shown to be more closely related to a sense of morality where healthier foods were concerned. A desire for novelty may explain a growing desire for contemporary foods as a way to escape a sense of routine or boredom in taste experiences. We suggest considering contemporary foods to be comfort foods mimics which elicit similar emotional effects in different contexts. •Satiety and health concern partially explained preferences from healthier to non-healthy foods.•The familiarity either created or broke barriers in acceptance of new foods.•Food deprivation increased comfort feeling about unhealthy foods.•The artistic plating has great influence over ‘green’ comfort food.•Cultural and taste barriers showed to be influential in the choices of contemporary and healthy foods.