Whatever the occasion, everyone loves a bit of comfort food, something to warm you up on a cold night, or cheer you up when you’re feeling low. However comfort food is so often synonymous with guilty pleasures, carb, fat or sugar heavy dishes we only allow ourselves on special occasions, but I want to show that this doesn’t have to be the case! I’m going to have a look at some of the most popular comfort foods from hearty meals to indulgent snacks, and show that there are healthier, lighter options that you can make or alter yourself that should be just as satisfying!
You’re Craving: Macaroni Cheese
Improve on a simple mac and cheese recipe by throwing in some spinach to add some much needed nutrition to the meal – it’s high in almost every vitamin and mineral you can think of and tastes great too. You could also opt for whole-wheat pasta instead of white and replacing some of the cheese you would normally include with cottage cheese which is much lighter and adds a great creamy texture.
You’re Craving: Burgers
The lure of a greasy burger has crippled the will of even the strongest student after a night out, but as you probably already know they’re not the healthiest creation in the world, and it is far too easy to smother on the sauce, cheese and fried onions. But during the day when you hopefully have a clearer head there is no excuse to not make your own burgers at home instead of running to the nearest fast food chain or burger van. Swapping beef mince for leaner turkey meat, perhaps using a wrap or pitta instead of a bun, and loading up on lettuce rather than ketchup will all make for a far more body-friendly burger.
You’re Craving: A Fry-up
Not much beats a plate filled up with a hearty fried breakfast, but your body won’t thank you if they become a daily occurrence. Get the same protein fix by dry frying your bacon instead of having it swimming in oil, and opt for poached eggs instead of fried to retain all the flavour with less of the fat. You could also add some wholegrain toast, cooked tomatoes and potato rostis to really set you up for the day.
You’re Craving: Chips
Sweet potato fries make an absolutely amazing alternative to salt-laden chips, they’re far easier to make as you roast them instead of frying – which of course makes them far more healthy too. Just toss some scrubbed and sliced up sweet potatoes into a roasting tray with a dash of oil and seasoning and bake to perfection. What’s more sweet potatoes, unlike normal potatoes, count as one of your five a day!
You’re Craving: Crisps
There are a myriad of snacks that can take the place of a bag of crisps as your nibble of choice. Dried or baked fruit is great to graze on and you can make large batch yourself or buy a bag to take with you wherever you go. Another choice would be plain popcorn, which you can then flavour however you want depending on just how indulgent you’re feeling.
You’re Craving: Pizza
Lots of the ingredients in pizza can be swapped out for other options and it’ll probably take you less time to make than the inevitable hour long wait for the pizza delivery service. Keep it light on cheese or opt for a low-fat choice instead, try switching up the doughy base for something a bit different like pitta, throw on the veggies and whatever else you fancy to make a delicious and guilt-free treat.
You’re Craving: Cookies
Instead of reaching for chocolate chip cookies next time you have a craving for something sweet why not instead whip up a batch of oatmeal cookies to have whenever you get the urge? They contain less butter and sugar and the oats will give you longer-lasting energy. Plus you can put whatever you want in them: chocolate, nuts, dried fruit or anything else you can think of.
You’re Craving: Ice Cream
The classic alternative to ice cream is frozen yoghurt which can be bought in almost all the same varieties and you can even make it yourself by mixing in your choice of flavouring (such as chopped strawberries, vanilla or chocolate) with some Greek yoghurt and condensed milk. Pop it in the freezer overnight so it’s ready for when you need an icy extravagance.
Photo credits: bbcgoodfood.com, allrecipes.co.uk, ifood.tv, passionateaboutbaking.com.