Winter Comfort Foods Made Healthy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s nothing more comforting than a nice hot meal on a winter\u2019s day. The problem is, what many of us consider to be winter comfort foods aren\u2019t always as healthy as we might assume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many comfort foods are high in simple carbohydrates like white flour and sugar, instead of healthier complex carbohydrates like whole wheat flour and vegetables. Simple carbohydrates can reduce our serotonin levels and make us tired (and even depressed), which is quite the opposite of what a comfort food should do. In addition, many recipes include ingredients high in fat, cholesterol and sodium, so curbing those is only going to help your waistline and overall healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With all this in mind, let\u2019s look at how the comfort foods we love can really be good for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Macaroni and Cheese, Lasagne and Other Pastas: Use whole wheat noodles and replace any flour in the recipes with whole wheat flour. Add more vegetables and reduce the cheese and meat content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Fried Chicken: Instead of frying, try baking your coated chicken and don\u2019t forget to use wheat flour and egg whites instead of a whole egg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Soups: Forego the canned varieties that are extremely high in cholesterol and make yours fresh where possible. It\u2019s not as complicated as you might think and it tastes much better. When making your own soup, always skim the fat of your soup stock and use plenty of vegetables. If you don\u2019t have time to make your own stock, choose the low sodium pre-made varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Chili and stew: Choose leaner cuts of meat. For example, a turkey chilli can be just as hearty and delicious as its ground beef counterpart. Of course, don\u2019t forget to load up your chilli with vegetables. When making stew, always cut fat off the meat before cooking and use wheat flour for thickening your delicious meal. If serving bread, use whole wheat and reduce of forego the butter. A warm whole wheat baguette dipped in homemade chilli or stew just doesn\u2019t need the extra added fat and cholesterol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It doesn\u2019t matter what your preferred comfort foods are, you can use these guidelines to prepare many of your favorite meals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Whole wheat flour replaces white flour.
\u2022 Olive oil replaces butter, margarine and other oils.
\u2022 Eggs whites replace whole eggs.
\u2022 Skip the butter on bread and vegetables. Use seasoning instead.
\u2022 Reduce sugar in recipes. Use ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon or other extracts to add sweet flavor.
\u2022 Choose leaner cuts of meat and cut off any visible fats before cooking. You can also remove skin from chicken, or to retain juiciness remove the skin before eating.
\u2022 Use skim milk instead of whole milk.
\u2022 Reduce salt in recipes dramatically. Most recipes don\u2019t actually need salt, excluding ones that include yeast for leavening.
\u2022 Cook more meals instead of eating packaged ones.
\u2022 When in doubt, add more vegetables.
Eating healthy doesn\u2019t mean avoiding your favorite comfort foods, but it could mean adjusting things a little. Keep these tips in mind when preparing your next meal to stay healthy, happy and trim this winter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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