During the first three months of the pandemic, food-secure people did not change their eating habits very much, although some of them turned a bit more to comfort foods, new research shows.
The study also serves as a cautionary tale for how people might want to eat in future pandemics.
The researchers conducted a national online survey of more than 3,000 food-secure people from March to May 2020. They found that most of the respondents ate foods that were high in carbohydrates, fats, salt, and sugar.
“Overall, the results from this study may demonstrate to someone that dietary habits may change during a crisis, but it also tells us they are not alone when eating comfort foods,” says Jeanette Andrade, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences.