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Healthy Comfort Foods

When the weather is nice out, there’s nothing quite like having a cookout or BBQ. It is always fun to get together with friends and family and chow down ‘til the cows come home, but all that food and drink can really add up. Your good mood could be spoiled by your bad choices. Comfort food is one of the ways we can always put ourselves in a good mood. After all, I guess that’s why they call it “comfort” food, right? But you don’t have to pack on pounds by eating those delicious but fatty foods just to get yourself in a good mood.

Here are some suggestions of ways to get all the flavor without all the calories.

•    A Wholesome Breakfast – There is a great bit by a stand-up named Jim Gaffigan about how we try to disguise junk food as breakfast just by calling it something different. “Isn’t a muffin just a cupcake without frosting?” Though it is important to eat breakfast every day, that doesn’t mean you have to stuff yourself with empty calories. I found a great recipe for a low fat yogurt parfait complete with fresh blueberries and healthy cereal. Sounds delicious!

•    Dal-icious – Dal is a preparation of dried lentils that are used to make a soup or stew-like mixture that has all the properties of a comfort food without all the calories. You can eat it with any sort of bread you like, but the soft stuff goes best. Check out this recipe for a delicious butternut squash and red lentil dal.

•    PB & Hooray! – If you like snacking (and a lot of us do), it gets easy to chow down on unhealthy treats such as cookies and chips, sodas and candy. Think twice before you stuff yourself with that junk, though, and have some peanut butter instead. Though it isn’t the absolute healthiest of options all the time, it is still a great source of protein and has zero cholesterol. If you are hankering for a candy bar, try making some ants on a log instead.

•    Kick the Meat – One favorite comfort food is the American staple of hamburger. Burgers don’t have to be the greasy meat patties that you’re used to, though, because of healthy and filling alternatives. Bulgur Burgers are a good way to stay satisfied and get the nutrients you need to have a well-rounded meal while fulfilling all of the requirements of a scrumptious burger.

•    Mac n’ Cheese Please – I love mac n’ cheese, but it is also one of those delicious comfort foods that isn’t necessarily one of the healthiest options. Luckily, I found a great recipe for a lower fat version of a baked mac n’ cheese. It uses Gruyere cheese, which is tangy and gourmet, but the recipe also suggests using non-fat sour cream and other ingredients that allow for a healthy, but filling treat.

Comfort food is a fast way to put yourself in a good mood, but don’t subject yourself to the bad-for-you junk foods that we so often turn to when we are feeling down. What healthy recipes can you think of for a delicious and natural mood booster?