Abstract
Comfort foods are commonly consumed for emotional consolation, and cravings for such foods are driven by psychological and physiological processes. Habitual dietary patterns may further influence these cravings through differences in sensory exposure and familiarity. As plant-based diets become more widely adopted worldwide, emerging evidence suggests that they may be associated with differences in sensory perception, food preference, and craving patterns. However, whether such changes extend specifically to comfort food cravings remains unclear. This study examined comfort food cravings among women following plant-based and omnivorous dietary patterns using a questionnaire study. Participants listed their three most frequently craved comfort foods over the past three months and evaluated the associated sensory and emotional attributes using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method. In addition, attitudes toward comfort foods were assessed. A total of 522 women took part in the study (195 plant-based dieters, including 80 vegans; 327 omnivores). Across dietary groups, the most frequently craved comfort foods were comparable in terms of energy content. However, foods reported by some plant-based groups had a higher estimated protein contribution than those reported by omnivores (p < 0.05). Sensory characteristics also differed across dietary groups, with plant-based dieters more frequently selecting ‘vegetable’ and ‘earthy’ smells, whereas omnivores more frequently selecting ‘sweet’ taste and ‘meaty’ smell (all p < 0.05). The most frequently reported emotions associated with comfort foods were consistently ‘satisfied’ and ‘happy’ across all groups. These findings provide new insights into how comfort food cravings and associated sensory characteristics may vary across dietary patterns among women.