How To Make Your Favorite Comfort Foods Healthier

Comfort foods are dishes that bring a sense of comfort and positive feelings. They’re often prepared in a simple, traditional style that brings back childhood memories and feelings of nostalgia. While comfort foods like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and cookies may provide a quick mood boost, they also tend to be high in calories, salt, added sugar, and fat.

It’s fine to enjoy these classic recipes occasionally, but eating them too often can make it harder to maintain a healthy diet. If you find yourself reaching for comfort foods frequently due to stress, consider talking with a healthcare professional. There are also simple swaps you can make to enjoy these foods in a healthier way.

Tips For Making Healthier Comfort Foods

Here are some tips for lightening up your favorite comfort foods without sacrificing flavor.

Bake Instead of Frying

Deep frying, which involves submerging food in hot oil, is a popular method for cooking comfort foods. However, during frying, foods lose water and absorb fat, which increases their unhealthy fat content and adds extra calories. Regular consumption of deep-fried foods has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Baking typically requires less oil than frying yet still creates a crispy outer layer, making it a healthier cooking method with fewer calories. Air frying, which uses hot air to cook food with very little oil, is another great choice. Plus, these healthier cooking methods generally require less clean-up time.

One example of a comfort food that’s usually fried but can be baked is chicken wings. Baking them in the oven or air fryer gives you that crispy exterior and tender inside without the extra fat and calories from deep frying.

Make It at Home

When you make comfort foods at home instead of getting fast food or pre-made options, you get to decide exactly what goes into your meal. You can choose healthier ingredients and control how much salt, fat, sugar, and calories are in it, which can help you stay on track with your health goals.

One study found that people who ate home-cooked meals more than five times a week consumed more fruits and vegetables daily compared to those who ate them less than three times per week. They were also 28% less likely to have an overweight body mass index (BMI) and 24% less likely to have excess body fat.

Use Low-Sodium Ingredients

Many comfort foods rely on added salt for flavor, which can lead to excessive sodium intake. Choosing broths and condiments like ketchup labeled "low sodium" or "no salt added" can help lower the sodium in your meals.

Also, you can swap all or half of the added salt in your favorite comfort food recipe for fresh herbs and spices, like garlic, basil, or rosemary, to add flavor without the extra sodium.

Add More Vegetables

Adding vegetables to your comfort food recipes is an easy way to increase the vitamins and minerals in your meals. Plus, they’re low in calories and high in water and fiber, which adds volume to your plate and makes your meals more filling.

For example, you can add spinach to pasta or mac and cheese, bulk up a casserole with shredded zucchini, or add chopped vegetables to soups and stews.

Choose Whole Grains

Whole grains, like whole-wheat flour, bulgur, and brown rice, are rich in fiber, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. People who eat more whole grains tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

The latest dietary guidelines recommend choosing whole grains for at least half of your daily grain choices. Swapping refined grains like white rice and pasta in your recipes can help increase your intake of whole grains. When shopping for whole grains, look for the words "whole" or "whole grain" on the ingredient list.

Healthy Food Swaps

Each of these swaps helps reduce calories and adds beneficial nutrients like fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Here are some simple swaps to try:

• Spaghetti squash for pasta: The flesh of spaghetti squash shreds into long strands that look like spaghetti noodles and can be used in any pasta recipe for a fraction of the calories.
• Lentils for meat: Lentils are a good plant-based protein alternative to ground meat. They offer a similar texture and a neutral flavor that absorbs spices and seasonings well. Swap one cup of cooked lentils for a 2-ounce serving of meat, poultry, or fish.
• Greek yogurt for sour cream: Greek yogurt is thick and creamy like sour cream but has more protein and less fat. It also provides probiotics, which support gut health.
• Mashed Cauliflower for Mashed Potatoes: Cauliflower is lower in carbs and calories than potatoes but still has a similar creamy texture when mashed. For a lighter version of this classic comfort food, swap half the potatoes for cauliflower to keep the creamy texture while reducing carbs and calories.
• Lean cuts of meat for fattier cuts: Choose lean or extra-lean ground beef and turkey with less than 15% fat. For whole cuts, trim off any visible fat and remove the skin to reduce excess fat and calories.
• Pumpkin puree or applesauce for oil or butter: Pumpkin puree and applesauce add moisture to hold ingredients together in muffins and quick breads without the extra calories and saturated fat from oil and butter.

Meal Ideas

Here are some healthier takes on popular comfort foods that are still satisfying and flavorful:

• Veggie mac and cheese: Use whole-grain pasta with low-fat cheese and replace half the pasta with steamed broccoli or cauliflower for extra fiber, nutrients, and fewer calories.
• Spaghetti squash with meat sauce: Use spaghetti squash instead of traditional noodles and top with lean ground turkey or beef and marinara sauce for a lower-carb, nutrient-packed comfort dish.
• Black bean brownies: Replace flour with puree black beans in brownies for added fiber and protein, with a similar fudgy texture.
• Air-fryer fried chicken: Coat chicken with a mixture of whole-wheat flour and seasonings, dip into buttermilk, and then coat with breadcrumbs. Place the chicken in the air-fryer basket, spray with olive oil, and cook until golden and crispy.
• Homemade french fries: Slice russet or sweet potatoes into thin strips, toss with a little olive oil, and season with sea salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or air fryer, then roast or air fry until crispy
• Whole wheat pizza: Make your own pizza with a whole-wheat crust, low-fat cheese, and plenty of fresh vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, and peppers.
• Turkey chili: Use lean ground turkey instead of beef and add kidney beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and corn for a filling, fiber-rich, high-protein, healthy chili.

A Quick Review

Comfort foods provide a sense of security and emotional comfort. However, these dishes tend to be high in calories, sodium, and unhealthy fats, which can have long-term health effects when consumed too often. Thankfully, there are several ways to make your favorite comfort foods healthier, such as adding more vegetables, using herbs and spices instead of salt, and baking or air frying instead of deep frying.

If you’re looking for more tips on making healthier choices, consider talking with a registered dietitian nutritionist.