Healthy Comfort Food

There are times when you just need some comfort food, but most of our favorites are too high in calories, fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium. Here are a few suggestions.

When we’re under stress, many of us reach for something comforting. Most of the time, it’s food. Chocolate, potato chips, burgers and pizza are more welcome than steamed broccoli and roasted chicken under these conditions. Unfortunately, the first list packs on the pounds and clogs up the arteries.

What should we do? Find healthy alternatives. In fact, you can have many of the things you crave if you plan it and make a little bit of an effort. Here are a few suggestions.

1) You don’t have to give up chocolate, just be a little more choosy and don’t eat a lot. In moderation, chocolate is actually good for you. Go for a high quality dark chocolate for best health effects, and keep to one serving.

2) If you’ve tried the baked potato chips and they don’t seem to help, you may want to look to baked sweet potato chips. They have more flavor, and you aren’t going in expecting the potato chip crunch. Sweet potatoes offer a number of health benefits, including antioxidants, vitamins A, C and B6. There are also minerals, trace elements and a protein that may boost the antioxidant effects.

3) We love our burgers, and they are very tempting, especially when we’re stressed. Guess what? You don’t have to give it up. You’ll have to make it yourself, but it’s better than no burger. Get a 93 to 96 percent fat free ground beef, and load it with fresh tomato, onions and romaine lettuce. Put it between a whole grain hamburger bun and you’ve got a healthy snack that’s lower in fat and cholesterol than boneless/skinless chicken breast.

4) This workaround to pizza does have a little more sodium and fat than the suggestions above, but infinitely less than a slice of regular pizza. This is best done in a sandwich maker, but you can do it on the stove top. You’ll need a slice of tomato, some fresh basil, two slices of bread, and some grated fat free mozzarella, maybe some diced onion and five pieces of pepperoni. Put the other ingredients between the slices of bread and grill. If you use whole wheat bread, you’ll have a serving of whole grains, a serving of low fat dairy and half a serving of fresh vegetables.

5) Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts, but regular ice cream is loaded with stuff the doctor says I should avoid. Thankfully, there are ways around that. Fat free frozen yogurt is a good example. It’s sweet, it’s frozen and it tastes good. It is high in protein and can be eaten by people who are otherwise lactose intolerant. The drawback to frozen yogurt is the amount of sugar involved.

6) If you like to munch on something while watching television, here is an alternative to popcorn and potato chips. Make a fruit and veggie tray. Carrots, celery, snow peas, grape tomatoes, etc. can be dipped into a fat free ranch dressing. Raspberries, blueberries and strawberries don’t need a dip; they bring a nice, natural sweetness to the tray. Now, you can munch to your heart’s content knowing that your snack is healthy, low fat and high in nutrients.

7) In the South, a pot of chili is considered excellent comfort food. However, like most Southern dishes, it starts with bacon. If you skip the bacon and use the same type of ground beef used in the burgers above, it can be a pot of healthy comfort food. Here are two hints to lower sodium content, if you use store canned products. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before adding them to your pot, and buy crushed tomatoes rather than tomato sauce. There is usually a big difference in sodium content.

With a little bit of extra effort, you can have your comfort food and stay healthy. It will help get through the stressful times. An added benefit is that you will still be able to fit into your skinny jeans. That always makes me feel better.