It's been shown that when things are a little shaky economically, people tend to eat differently. They go for comfort food, and not just because it's cheaper. As we found ou, it makes them feel better too.

Lara Frei is quick to tell you what she considers comfort food. She says, "I'm kind of a chocolate person, so I like to buy lots of chocolatey things, but dark chocolate specifically and chips." Comfort food is what you eat when you need a little...comforting.  It seems food makers know not only what you're going through, but also what you're worried about. A new cereal ad boasts you can eat it, "All for less than 50 cents a bowl, including milk." Campbell's is now pitching its soup as a product that can "warm hearts without stretching budgets". It's a message that's resonating with Lara. She says, "Obviously it's tough right now, and I'm trying not to spend more than I have to."

Besides opting for the comfort foods that just seem to taste better, many people are choosing Hamburger Helper and hog dogs because they tend to be cheaper. They're also skipping some of the pre-made items that are often more expensive in the grocery aisle. Lara says, "I might make more of my own stuff now than actually buy premade things."

Campbell's says it hasn't marketed it's food quite like this since the 1930's, when economic times were very tough. Lara says she tries to keep the comfort food at a minimum.  But there's no question, she'll be shopping differently until things turn around. She says, "I know that I don't go out as much and I'm definitely cooking more at home." By the way, when the the stock market collapsed on Monday, there was only one stock on the S&P Index of 500 large companies that actually went up: Campbell's.