Every now and then, we experience a strong craving to enjoy our ultimate comfort foods. Those deep-fried, cheesy, and carby treats aren’t just tempting — they are literal ‘soul soothers’. Unfortunately, with all that deliciousness and comfort comes a burst of calories that may take hours in the gym to burn off.
Traditional comfort foods are made with unhealthy fats and processed sugars, which contribute to excess calories. But fear not. There is a way to enjoy your favorite treats — and that too without feeling that post-foodgasm guilt.
With a little bit of innovation and a touch of creativity, you can bring a healthy touch to your favorite comfort foods. Let’s discuss how you can give your favorite comfort foods a healthy twist.
Chicken Breast For Comfort and Health
Fried, grilled, or baked, chicken is one of the most versatile proteins ever. In fact, it is used in so many recipes. Despite being tasty and lean, a lot of people neglect the humble chicken breast. The reason is that this part of the chicken does not have a lot of fat content, which is why it dries out during the cooking process. And honestly, no one wants to eat a chewy piece of meat that makes you feel like you are performing a jaw workout.
That doesn’t mean you should just throw away the most healthy part of a chicken. Consider baking your chicken breast at a high temperature to get the expected results.
A simple but mouthwatering recipe by Julie’s Eats & Treats showcases the perfect method of baking chicken breast without compromising on the flavor and texture. Incorporate simple spices like salt, onion powder, paprika, and pepper to season your chicken and bake it at a high temperature until a crust is formed. This crust helps lock in the moisture. Pair it up with your favorite grilled vegetables, and you have got yourself a complete meal.
Mac and Cheese: The Healthier Reinvention
Mac and Cheese is probably the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind when we talk about comfort food because people of all ages love this simple yet tasty treat. Evident by its name, mac and cheese is a combination of macaroni and assorted cheeses. And do you know what that means? It means that this divine treat is loaded with processed fats and carbs. Some people also top off their mac and cheese with fried chicken bits, making it even more fattening. Now that’s a guilt trip you are going to be on for many days.
It is possible to spruce up mac and cheese with a colorful twist that can slash the number of calories in the dish. Firstly, use whole-grain pasta instead of white pasta to get more fiber. Cut down on the pasta and replace it with vegetables such as broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach. Pureed cauliflower and squash are healthier than cheese options.
Lasagna With a Vegetable Overflow
Everyone loves indulging in a big, cheesy, and meaty lasagna slice loaded with your favorite sauces. But did you know this heavyweight champion of calories can add serious strain to your heart and stomach?
However, with a few simple tweaks and additions, you can still enjoy an Italian grandma-approved lasagna that doesn’t make your stomach uncomfortable and bloated. For starters, consider adding vegetables to the lasagna layers. You can add eggplant, spinach, mushrooms, or pretty much anything that goes well with tomato and white sauce. Vegetables add more fiber to the dish, which makes it easier to digest. Plus, they also add color and height to the lasagna, making it look well-structured and filling.
Mashed Potatoes — A Low-Calorie Version?
A bowl of delicious and creamy mashed potatoes can put any frown upside down. If you are among the people who crave mashed potatoes quite often, now is the time to find a healthier replacement. For starters, the mashed potatoes don’t have to be just ‘potatoes’. In fact you can swap a certain amount of potatoes with other vegetables, like cauliflower and parsnips which help lower the calorie count without compromising on the creamy texture.
Replace full-fat heavy milk and cream with low-fat options. Some people even replace cream with vegetable stock to bring richness to their mashed potatoes. Since you are replacing the core ingredient, i.e. the humble potato, it is obvious that there will be a slight change in taste.
Redefining a Pizza
While it’s perfectly normal to indulge in a carby, fatty, and sodium-rich pizza now and then, you can still have a healthier version in your recipe notes for when you don’t feel like eating a lot.
Replace the standard white flour dough with whole wheat. Go half and half with each flour when preparing the dough. Instead of overloading your pizza with cheese, try a different approach. This time, you can create an assorted topping that contains healthy proteins like grilled chicken and sausages. Vegetables are a requirement for a pizza. So, why not add a decent portion of veggies that pair nicely with cheese.
Creamy Soups and Stews — On a Lighter Note
Soups and stews that contain starch and cream are quite high in calories and sodium content. And that is probably why they taste amazing. If your comfort food is a slow-cooked stew or a soup, then you are probably eating a lot more calories than you think. But it is possible to create a healthier and lighter version of the same treat that contains less sodium and carbs.
Simple changes like replacing cream with pureed vegetables can help you get that creamy and thick texture. Similarly, you can replace regular dairy with low-fat options such as coconut milk and Greek yogurt for a dense flavor.
The base of the soup is the most time-consuming part of the entire recipe. Most people reduce this by using a store-bought base. But did you know that these store-bought options are loaded with sodium and preservatives, making them a threat to your heart health? Take the time-consuming approach of preparing fresh broth at home, which not only gives you better flavor but is lower in calories and sodium.
For some people, comfort food is all that they want during happiness, sickness, or sadness. Unfortunately, most of the authentic options are super high in calories – no wonder people don’t eat their favorite comfort food as much as they want to.
However, it is still possible to create a healthier version of your favorite foods, and that too with significantly lower calories. By replacing and substituting ingredients, you can make even the most fattening recipes light and nutritious.