What is The Proust Phenomenon?

Is Nostalgia Driving Your Food Choices?

What does nostalgia have to do with food? More than you know. I have so many food memories that remind me of my childhood. One of my favorites is my grama Winnie’s potato and onion soup. When I make it and take that first bite, I’m immediately transported back into her house in San Francisco where I lived for many years. That bite of soup brings back the feeling of her green 70s shag carpet between my toes and I can see the room around me. It feels like she’s next to me and that she even made the soup for me. Oh how I wish that were true. I miss her daily. Food is the coolest because it can transport you to a time and place like nothing else can. It’s one of my most favorite things about food. It’s also why I continue to make so many of my grandparent’s recipes during the holidays (and year round) because even though they are no longer with us, it’s like having them part of our holidays and traditions. What a blessing it is to feel like they are part of the food memories I will create for my family! Food is rad like that.

Smells can trigger strong memories and bring heavy emotional feelings even more so than pictures or even music. Food can provide a sense of comfort and I don’t mean stereotypical Mac and cheese or mashed potatoes but the comfort of happiness and joy from your past. Likewise, it can also be a negative experience if the food memory is a not-so-good-one. The familiarity with specific dishes, recipes, smells, flavors and the taste that triggers our mind to what fees like entering a special Time Machine that only works for you and your brain. There’s a sense of comfort, safety, joy and even cultural familiarity that we crave from out past — simpler times even. What is this? It’s known as Proust Phenomenon or Proust Effect thanks to Marcel Proust. He was a French novelist known for a 3000 page masterpiece, À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past or In Search of Lost Time), a pseudo-autobiographical novel told mostly in a stream-of-consciousness style. He coined the term “involuntary memory” which is when our memory is triggered by a smell, taste or even a sound. In his novel he describes his sense of deja vu after tasting the tea-soaked crumbs from a Madeleine cookie. He writes,

"Immediately the old grey house upon the street rose up like a stage set… the house, the town, the square where I was sent before lunch, the streets along which I used to run errands, the country roads we took… in that moment… the whole of Combray and of its surroundings… sprang into being, town and gardens alike, all from my cup of tea.”

All of that came from the crumbs of a cookie. How brilliant.

On the flip side, nostalgia is often what drives parents to feed their kiddo’s foods like happy meals, fun cereals, candy bars and a long list of ingredients that perhaps aren’t the “healthiest” … yes I’m aware that word is relative. I know when we grow up and have babies and grandbabies we sincerely look forward to sharing those same childhood foodie experiences we had growing up and as a mommy I totally get it that. It’s why I do what I do. I’ll explain in a minute.

For me though, it’s not worth it to share some of those food memories with my son or future kids. For one — I don’t eat the same way I used to and I don’t eat or buy much of that stuff now so why would I buy it for my son especially when I know that it’s not the healthiest? I want to set my son up for success from the start when it comes to food and nutrition and more importantly teach him WHY we eat the way that we do. There are plenty of foods that I loved as a kid that I have fond food memories of but I wouldn’t touch those foods with a 39 1/2 foot pole now that I know the ingredients and what they do to the body and the mind. When you learn about the ingredients in these foods and what they do to the body it’s a very, very easy NO for me. Why on earth would I still want to consume them or even worse — feed them to my most precious and greatest accomplishments … my babies!

The cool part about this or should I say that good news is that there are some incredible companies making alternatives and copycats to those same foods and treats and snacks that we once loved as kids. They are making them with less sugar, without the fake food additives and colors and fillers. We have so many options now to replace the crappy ingredients in those (un)lucky charms, candy bars and (un)happy meals.

It’s also why I’ve worked so hard (AND continue working) on recreating family recipes and nostalgic food combos that I loved as a kid to share them with sweet boy someday! It’s why I share them with you. I’m always on the hunt looking at new products and even working with amazing companies to spread the word on their product launches and even some product development.

Food nostalgia was a huge driving force and inspiration to my cookbooks (Eat Real Food & Together For Christmas) and to why I started Krysten’s Kitchen in the first place: with the mission to share my years of research on healthy alternatives to everyday foods that most people can no longer eat due to dietary restrictions, food allergies or special eating lifestyles. The community has grown so much and it’s an incredible journey I get to be on with you. 

Wanting your kid to experience your nostalgia is so cool and is totally well intentioned and I like I said before, I 100% get that now as a mom. I believe it becomes selfish when you care more about that little moment of YOUR OWN nostalgia vs caring about the toxins your kiddos can/will ingest or be exposed to that are in many of those foods.

Once you know better you do better. Once you learn about what’s in your food and even worse who is controlling big food and big agriculture you’re tune changes and that’s when you really start to pay attention to what you buy and what you eat or feed your family.

👉🏽Eating healthy is often seen as RESTRICTION! It’s not! Choosing to avoid toxins, seed oils, fragrance, artificial food dyes and flavorings isn’t RESTRICTION. This kind of lifestyle isn’t a diet either! It’s an INTENTIONAL LIFESTYLE and there’s a big difference.

I also believe I AM giving my kiddo those same food memories by recreating recipes I had as a kid to make them better-for-you and creating our own food memories that he can pass down to his own kids some day.

READ THIS TWICE: I give you permission to CORRECT anyone next time someone puts you down, mom shames you or tells you you’re being too strict when you’re simply being intentional about foods you give (or don’t give) your kids! Don’t let anyone make you feel bad by saying things like “just live a little” or “a little won’t hurt!” You need to do what you believe is right for you and your family. The sad reality is that they don’t know, don’t understand or worst of all… they don’t care about the importance and power of food and ingredients.

I got your back and oh so many recipes to share.

Check out my website KrystensKitchen.com which is filled with hundreds of recipes as well as my instagram page which again is filled with even more recipes and recipes videos, product reviews and a very cool community of like-minded, wonderful people. If you want more, here are my cookbooks as well. I’m almost sold out (again!) of my first book Eat Real Food. There are only a handful left.

Thank you again to my paid subscribers! I appreciate you and I’m grateful to serve you and your families.