KITCHENER -- The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting people's physical and mental health, causing many to turn to comfort food to deal with the stresses of the pandemic.

Chocolate, cookies, and chips are just some foods that people are eating more of during the pandemic

“A whole lot of snacks, a whole lot of Uber eats, a whole lot of delivery fees,” said one resident to CTV News.

“Lots of snacking, I think. Definitely lots of snacking going on during the pandemic,” said another.

A recent study from the University of Guelph found that snacking is a common side effect of the pandemic

The study surveyed 254 families about how the lockdown has affected them

“Families didn’t do quite so well, or found that they had some challenges. Sixty percent of mothers, fathers, and children, roughly, reported that they had an increase in snacking,” said Dr. David Ma, a human health & nutritional sciences professor at the University of Guelph.

A local dietitian says the increase in snacking comes from the added stress of the pandemic

“We kind of associated that like I feel stressed, I feel upset, I feel anxious and they attribute that to I’m going to have something comforting when it comes to food to try and take the edge off a little bit,” said registered dietitian Chelsea Cross.

Others chalking up the poor eating habits to boredom.

“You have nothing to do sometimes, so you sit down and grab a snack,” noted one person.

Cross says the best way to avoid mindless snacking is to plan your meals in advance and to use the halt method, which stands for hunger, anxiety, loneliness and tired, and asking yourself why you’re grabbing a snack before you start eating it.

“The halt basically allows you to stop yourself, remain present, and ask yourself what you're actually feeling. And if it’s not hunger, the majority of the time it’s like oh okay maybe I need to come up with a toolbox or some ideas as to when I’m feeling bored,” she explains.

While the pandemic is causing more people to turn to comfort foods, Dr. Ma says there is a silver lining.

The study also found more families are spending more time together, whether it’s cooking a meal together or having family dinners.