Comfort food is the kind that people associate with good memories that bring nostalgia and sentimental feelings. This kind of food includes some home-cooked meals and could also be the cookies your mom always bakes for you or the fast food you always have with your family every weekend. In short, comfort food is primarily full of calories, high in carbohydrates, sugar, and other unhealthy ingredients. Not many people would ever think of green and leafy vegetables when they hear “comfort food.”
While comfort food is not exactly healthy and isn’t that comforting, why should you worry if it brings you joy? But there are also healthier comfort food alternatives that you should know about to get some comfort without risking your health. You can even have as many of them as you want without feeling guilty the next day.
Healthy Comfort Food You Should Know About
It’s natural to seek comfort in the form of the food you like, especially as the events happening everywhere in the world can be too stressful sometimes. Besides all these global crises, you might even feel tired and seek comfort by visualizing your dream home and looking for the best house and land package. In any case, if you’re craving some comfort food at the end of a long day, you should consider some healthier alternatives. Here are some of them:
1. Vegetarian Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a cheesy and creamy meal that can both be a snack and a meal. It’s delicious and easy to prepare, and you can even make it vegetarian by removing the meat, of course, and substituting pasta with cauliflower for a healthier twist.
2. Avocado Mac and Cheese
If you want to get extra experimental with your mac and cheese, you can add some avocado to your cream to give it that extra gooey taste and feel. You can still use cauliflower, but some real pasta can also make this recipe perfect.
3. Vegan Lasagna
Lasagna is another favorite dish of any pasta-loving person, as it’s easy to make and yummy. Of course, you can make it healthier by making it vegan just by using eggplants or tomatoes instead of beef. Adding some tofu, lentils, spinach, and cashew will also add to the overall appeal of your vegan lasagna.
4. Vegan Banana Bread
Banana bread is one of the many zeitgeists of the lockdowns during the first few months of the pandemic as many people tried their hands at baking. For some reason, banana bread was a favorite choice for many lockdown bakers. If you’re wondering why, no one knows the exact reason, except for it being easy to make and healthy enough. It also gives you a chance to find a use for the overripe bananas you have in your kitchen, as it is the perfect type to make your banana bread moister.
5. Vegan Pancake
Pancakes are one of the most popular choices for breakfast and dessert after every meal as they are easy to make. You can even just purchase a bag of readily mixed pancakes, so you won’t have to get different ingredients. To make your pancakes healthier, you just have to substitute milk with vegan milk—maybe almond or soy milk—then an overripe banana to make your pancakes fluffier. Top them with your favorite fruits and syrup, and you should be good to go.
6. No-bake Cookies
Your mom’s cookie recipe might be difficult to reproduce, but as a consolation, you can make some in a faster and easier manner by using a no-bake cookie mix. If you want to make yours moister and more decadent, add some peanut butter and oats to the mix. Adding some nuts and raisins is another good option that will make your cookies healthier.
7. Healthy Chocolate Cake
You can have a relatively healthier chocolate cake by going to any pastry shop that sells cakes, or you can even make it on your own. Just remember that to make any dessert vegan, all you need to do is not use any dairy products and use vegan butter instead. Adding some strawberries on top will also add some extra flavor that will contrast the sweetness of your chocolate cake.
Feel Happy, Be Healthy
Your comfort food doesn’t always have to be the junk food you grew up eating or the McDonald’s burger you always eat when you want to feel better. Give some healthy comfort food a chance, and you should get the comfort you need without feeling bad for your health.
