For most of us, the winter holidays are when we’re most likely to indulge in the foods that give us all the good feels. And while there’s nothing wrong with celebrating the season, it’s nice to be able to put a more balanced, modern spin on classic comfort food recipes without losing any of their yum factor (think have your cake, eat it too… and not feel guilty about it). Luckily, there are lots of ways to tweak old favorites so you can indulge happily!
Start with Simple, Wholesome Ingredients
The best meals and recipes all begin the same way: a good foundation. Making mindful swaps to get your meals started is easier than you might think! Rice is one of the most-consumed foods in the world, and for good reason! It’s a great base for soaking up all kinds of flavors and pairs with just about anything. When you swap regular rice for Birds Eye® Riced Cauliflower, you can start building a better meal right away! Plus, it cooks itself right in the bag, so you can focus your attention on the rest of the meal. That goes for pasta, too—it’s easy to sub in veggie noodles for traditional pasta, like in this fresh and flavorful Zucchini Noodle Salad with Tomatoes using Birds Eye Zucchini Spirals.
Carbs aren’t a bad thing, though. When you do want the real thing, try using complex grains like barley, as in this Vegetable Pot Pie. A bit of fresh cilantro, green pepper, and Hunt’s® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes make this Vegetarian Farro Skillet a delight for the senses while farro packs in the fiber.
Sometimes less really is more! When you start with quality, nutritious ingredients and have a good recipe in hand, nutritious comfort food can look as unassuming as a Simple Roast Chicken and Vegetables—roasting really brings out the crispiness and natural flavors in the chicken and veggies. Plus, did you know you can even make protein-packed desserts taste scrumptious thanks to chickpeas and a plant-based vegan spread like Earth Balance® Creamy Natural Peanut Butter? These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies are the proof!
Cut the Meat and Up the Veggies
One of the best ways to change up a classic comfort food recipe is to add more vegetables to the equation. To do this, you can either increase the vegetables overall or simply replace meat with vegetables. For instance, rather than traditional meat-based lasagna, you can opt for delicious veggie lasagnas, such as this Slow Cooker Mushroom Spinach Lasagna or these delightful little Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Tomato Coulis. For nourishing comfort food at breakfast, try this delectably veggie-rich Spicy Shakshuka! Not ready to fully give up meat? Add in the veggies somewhere else. Birds Eye Chicken Alfredo Pasta swaps out traditional pasta for a pasta made from a blend of zucchini and lentils. With a creamy Alfredo sauce and bread crumb topping, you’ll get all the benefits of veggies, but you won’t even realize they’re there. And meat substitutes are crazy-realistic these days—this Healthy Choice® Be’f & Vegetable Stir Fry made with Gardein™ is the perfect way to get started on cutting down your meat consumption without feeling like you’re actually making any sacrifices.
Make Your Faves Gluten Free
You don’t need to have an intolerance to cut back on gluten, and doing so can help you reduce your carb intake. With Glutino® Perfect Pie Crust mix, you can enjoy any of your favorite winter pies guilt-free—perfect for a classic Apple Crumble Pie! This comfort food recipe for Southern Style Oven Fried Chicken swaps the traditional bread crumbs for crushed Glutino Original Crackers. If you crave a steamy bowl of soup, you’ll flip for this naturally gluten-free recipe for Velvety Sweet Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs. And if you’re looking for some quick-to-prepare comfort food in the frozen aisle, you’ll love Udi's® gluten-free mac & cheese meal and Udi's gluten-free single-serve chicken Florentine.
Swap the Sugar for Agave Nectar
Among comfort food recipes, desserts are some of the easiest to make and hardest to resist, especially because so many seasonal favorites are sweets! Agave nectar has a much lower impact on blood sugar levels than traditional white sugar. Using it is pretty simple: Substitute 2/3 cup of agave nectar for every 1 cup of white sugar called for in the recipe, then reduce overall liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup. By doing this, you can make scrumptious winter desserts like Cranberry-Orange Bundt Cake and Cinnamon Apple Pie Cake Roll just a bit more wholesome. Agave nectar is also a great sugar substitute when you cozy up with some hot tea!
Eating more balanced versions of your favorite comfort food doesn’t mean giving up the joy and satisfaction they deliver. At the end of the day, choosing vitamin-rich, fiber-rich, and nutrient-packed ingredients will allow you to make any of your family favorites just a little bit more friendly for your heart, your soul, and your waistline… cheers to that!
