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Healthy Comfort Food Meal Recipes

It’s the season most of us crave comfort foods. Something in the cold air has our minds aching for a big bowl of macaroni & cheese, a dozen chocolate chip cookies, huge bowls of chili, and large portions of lasagna. It’s science, isn’t it? If you live in warmer climates, I’m not sure what kicks your comfort food cravings – perhaps a string of down days where the world seems to be against you? In New York, we get a combination of reasons we want foods that feel like a hug when we eat them! It’s why some of us seek out healthy comfort food recipes so we don’t sink our health goals into the gutter!

healthy comfort food

Healthy Comfort Food Meal Recipes

Winters are tough for me, and as much as I know food should never be what you turn to so I can feel better – sometimes I just need a warm, familiar meal that feels like I’m being wrapped up in a hug. I have plenty of comfort food meals I stick to, but now I have ones that are a smidge healthier to offset all the rich, heavy ones I love so much, like chicken pot pie and meatballs, of course. I mean, I’m Sicilian after all!

Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

A true comfort food usually is creamy, dreamy, and has some kind of crust. Chicken Pot Pie absolutely fits the bill, but when you have too many of them, you’re probably going to feel that all too familiar gluttony. To avoid the guilt for eating such rich and creamy goodies, try a lighter chicken pot pie version from Martha Stewart!

Italian Eggplant Parmesan

Swapping out full fat cheese, and breading, definitely helps make Cookie and Kate’s Italian Eggplant Parmesan a healthier version than your customary eggplant parm from your local Italian place.

Turkey Meatloaf

Meatloaf!!!! It doesn’t get much more comforting than a big slab of meatloaf. Martha Stewart’s Turkey Meatloaf recipe helps cut down the calories so you can enjoy more and worry less about calories adding up.

Veggie Lasagna

As a non-lover of low fat, or fat free ingredients, I usually swap it out for the full fat versions. I’m cool with part-skim, low moisture cheese and whatnot, but once people start with the low fat and fat free garbage, I swap that out for full fat. Even doing my own full fat ingredients, I still cut the heavy and high calories from the normal lasagna recipes I’m used to. When making Cookie and Kate’s Veggie Lasagna, if you’re okay with fat free and low fat ingredients, keep them. If not, just swap them for the full fat versions.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Italians know a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs hits all the comfort spots when the temps are low, and your day didn’t go as well as you’d have liked. Enjoying a big bowl of Martha Stewart’s Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs once in a while instead of the normal version can help incorporate healthier alternatives without feeling like you’re missing out on your favorite foods.

Healthier Mac & Cheese

Let’s all agree that with all the mac and cheese we eat, once in a while we should swap it out for a healthier option. And oftentimes, the one thing we need to swap out is the milk – go from whole milk to 2% milk – because it makes a huge difference for your health. Mae’s Menu gets it!

Chili

If you know me, and have been a part of my community for a long time, you know I hate beans. Ambitious Kitchen’s Turkey Chili uses beans, so I leave those out and it tastes amazing. I also do not use cilantro to top it off. I stick to sour cream and avocado. Yes, full fat sour cream, I just don’t use a lot. And avocado is a healthy fat that adds great flavor with a cold element that plays nicely against the hot chili (because I use spice, unlike what the recipe says).

Tuna Casserole

Growing up, we had tuna casserole a lot. It was inexpensive to make, and we all loved it. When I was a kid, mom used canned cream of celery soup. I don’t do that. I make the whole thing from scratch, except for the noodles. Maybe one day I’ll do that, too. But, for now, I stick to boxed or bagged dry noodles/macaroni. I like Ambitious Kitchen’s addition of mushrooms, but one kid ins’t a fan of those, so I normally just make it with celery and leave out the mushrooms.

Tuna Melt

Let’s be clear, pickles are my enemy so you won’t find those in my version of Ketology’s Tuna Melt! I’ll often swap out the greek yogurt with avocado, but depending on what’s in the house, I can do either one for my tuna melts. I also use cheddar, or mozzarella, or even muenster cheese on top instead of Swiss cheese.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Big Man’s World’s Chocolate Chip Cookies definitely hits the spot when you’re jonesing for some comforting cookies. Warm cookies out of the oven, with the chocolate still melty and delicious – nothing better!

When you run to comfort foods as often as I do, healthy comfort food alternative recipes are necessary. Menopause is a bitch, and gaining weight happens quickly if I don’t stay on top of all the food I eat. Unfortunately, if you’re in the same menopause battle, you know down days are part of the menopause journey, and frankly, depriving myself of the foods I love and make me feel good, just makes everything worse. I’m sure I’m not alone in this, so these recipes should help all of you when you want to eat all the foods you love and find comfort in.

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By | 2024-12-28T21:51:35-05:00 January 15, 2025|Food & Drink|0 Comments

About the Author:

Staci loves to write, and loves to share her "take" on everything thrown her way. Movies, entertainment, food, fashion, shopping, money, travel and family. There's nothing off limits at NovemberSunflower.com, and Staci's always telling it like it is: good, bad, and all that lies in between!

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