Break-ups suck. It's a fact of life, and all you really want to do is curl up in a ball and cry for at least a couple of weeks. Especially with the end of the semester and the end of the "I -can't-do-long-distance" relationships, a lot of people are struggling with finding the right food to comfort their hurting heart. (But unfortunately, food can't heal all problems. That's what time is for.) Most people's go-to best break-up food is ice cream, but I asked a whole bunch of people what their real best break-up food is and these are their responses
1. Food?
"It's not gonna be a meal, but liquor and Taco Bell." -Diane Dolan, my mom
2. Go With Greek
"Gyros. They're greasy, they have that cucumber mayonnaise*. They're so gross but so good." - John Dolan, my dad
*that 'cucumber mayonnaise' is actually called tzatziki for those who don't know
3. The Reality
"I like to eat lettuce when I break up with a guy because I lose my appetite. I guess I just want my stomach to feel the way my heart feels: empty." -Vrianna Rodriguez, Student
4. Childhood Nostalgia
"Flavor-Blasted Goldfish. The cheesy greatness settles my feelings. Has to be flavor-blasted cheddar, though." -Mickey Dolan, my brother
5. Easy, Greasy, Beautiful
"Chimichangas. The ingredients are cheap. It's really fatty, self-pity food that tastes very good." -Gracey Dolan, my sister
6. Revenge Food
"Something healthy because revenge body." -Cat Benavides, Student
7. #Relatable
"Fries because I want to eat them but I don't wanna eat them, but then I do because I'm fat." -Olivia Rome
8. The Classic
"Chocolate. Any chocolate I can get my hands on. It's comfort and lethargic when you eat it because everything just slows down. And why not?" -Andi Utter, Student
9. Fast Food Healing
"It took me two days to eat, but my first meal after my breakup was Whataburger." -Sarah Gonzalez, Student
10. The No-Ice Cream Ice Cream
"Root Beer Freezes from Dairy Queen. They're delicious and it's ice cream without tasting like ice cream because I don't like ice cream." -Lexie Yunger, Student
11. Real Comfort Food
"Mac n' Cheese and ice cream. It's my comfort food for everything." -Joe Mendoza, Student
12. Home-Cooking
"Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas because my dad makes them and they make me happy." -Rebecca Velez, Student
13. Feeling Grounded
"Nachos. I feel like they make me feel grounded and comfortable." -Anonymous
14. Going Italian
"Spaghetti. I usually only eat it on rare occasions. It calls to me." -Brette Samson, Student
15. Sticking With The Favorites
"Street corn. It's comfort food. It's my favorite vegetable covered in spices and cheese." -Kam Bryce, Student
16. The Warm and Fuzzies
"Oreos and Nutella because it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside when I'm sad." -Brieanna Bowman, Student
17. Unhealthy Heath
"Hands down, sweet potato fries with honey because you gotta have something really greasy and salty but not something bad for you. And I put honey on everything because of Milk & Honey*." -Caro Dominguez, Adult
*Milk & Honey is an incredible book written by Rupi Kaur. Highly recommend it for someone going through a break-up.
18. Bread Basics
"A loaf of bread you make from scratch because it allows you to focus all your energy on making that bread and not the break-up or anything surrounding it." -Johnny Dolan, Adult and my brothe
19. Nothing Specific
"Chips just because it's something I do anyways so it would be something to go to. I don't think I need anything specific to get over a break-up." -Val Vial, Student
20. Texan Roots
"Barbeque sandwich because it's something I really enjoy." -a guy who's never been through a break-up
So, now to have it. Everybody is different, but most people tend to stick to the comfort foods. A lot of the people said they didn't really eat for a couple days because they had no appetite, but once they did, they went to comfort. That's what I'm going through right now, but I'll be home soon when I can have my dad's cooking once again. These are the best break-up foods according to 20 different people, but if you're going through a tough time, remember that everything is temporary, and you will be okay. Time heals all wounds, and you will survive this.
Also, look out for some of these other Spoon articles to help you through: 6 Ways to Cope With A Breakup That Aren't Binge Eating, What To Eat After A Breakup (Without Feeling Even Worse), and What You Should Drink, Based on How Bad Your Breakup Was.