5 Comfort Food Classics with a Healthy Twist

 We have that one specific meal that we go to when we are fed up. It can be a comforting meal, it is something warm that makes us feel better. What I am talking about here is comfort food. It could be a cheesy pasta or the sandwich with a ran out of cheese or the spicy biryani just that each of us tastes comfort food deeper and better than the other. You can actually feel this music heart to heart right?

Sadly, most comfort foods are however rich in carbs, cream, oil or sugar. This is not to say that we should quit using them! Luckily, we can make them not only be healthier but also not to lose the great taste.

Thus, I will tell you 5 old school comfort dishes, yet with a bit more healthy replacement. These are my personal recipes when I seem a little comfortable and chilled out or when time will not allow. They are easy to cook, are delicious and are nutritious.

🥘 1. Creamy Mac and Cheese – With a Cauliflower Boost

For many, the familiar version is pasta drenched in a sauce of butter, milk and tons of cheese.

This dish features a mix of steamed cauliflower blended into cream sauce.

Ingredients:

• You can try whole wheat or lentil pasta.
• For the recipe, you need to steam 1 cup of cauliflower.
• The recipe requires 2 tbsp of grated cheese.
• You need ½ cup milk (or an alternative milk).
• You will need salt, pepper and also garlic powder.

What ingredients and steps add up to making it.

• Add the pasta to water and cook it as directed. 
• Put the cauliflower, milk and seasonings in a blender and mix them into a smooth sauce. 
• Heat the sauce, add the cheese and pour it over the pasta. Done!
• It works well because cauliflower gives extra creaminess, so you don’t have to use much of the cheesy or fattening ingredients. 
• Another benefit is that it includes a vegetable.

🍲 2. Khichdi -with Quinoa and Veggies

You could have it in the form of a vegetarian staple mushy rice having dal mixed and all being cooked with ghee.

The remedy: Buy quinoa at the marketplace in place of white rice and add in various vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 100 ml of quinoa
• 100 arabic moong dal 
• Peas, carrots and beans that have been cut up
• Also, it is possible to add cumin, turmeric, ginger and garlic.
• Salt, water

The steps for making it are as follows:

• Bring all of the ingredients to a boil for 5 minutes by pressure cooking or simmer for overnight in a slow cooker.
•  Feel free to top your kichdi with a spoon of ghee or leave it out for people who do not want oil in their food.
• Personally, I like to make soup on rainy evenings due to its comfort, nourishment and gentle effect on the stomach.
• It works because quinoa provides more protein and fiber than rice and vegetables bring extra nutrition and crunch.

 🥪 3. Sandwich Grilled cheese (Avocado style)

The best know method: Take a slice of white bread, top it with processed cheese and fry it in butter until it turns golden.

The secret is this: Add multigrain bread, natural milk creamy avocado and natural cheese!

Ingredients:

• Two pieces of bread using whole-grain.
• 2 slices of real-cheese.
• A half ripened avocado.
• Chili flakes, lemon and salt is the seasoning applied in these snacks.

The steps to make it are explained below.

• Blend together avocado, lemon juice, chili flakes and some salt. 
• Top your bread, put cheese inside, add olive oil and grill or cook it in a non-stick pan.
• This works since avocado makes the soup rich and nutritious.

 Since it contains a lot of fiber and is heart-healthy, it keeps you full for a long time.

🍛 4. Butter Chicken-Light and yogurt based

Tomato curry turns out delicious when prepared in butter and cream.
The thing is to substitute the heavy cream with thick curd (yogurt).

Ingredients:

• In case you prefer to make this veg alternative, you may use boneless chicken or paneer.
• It demands 1 cup of tomato puree.
• 125 grammes curd.
• Ginger-garlic paste, garam masala and kasuri methi can be added as well.
• All you can use is olive oil or a small amount of butter

Here are the steps to make the recipe.

• Cook chicken by seasoning it with your preferred spices and mixing in some tomato puree. 
• Add some eggs made with curd instead of using cream. 
• Heat the mixture and cook it until it thickens and begins to smell delicious.
• Simply add the curd to the pan on a low flame and stir it as you go to help it not curdle.
•  Really, it’s much simpler than you may expect!

The reason it helps is that you don’t miss out on the tangy taste; you just use less fat and have more protein.

🍧 5. Ice Cream banana choco swirl

The criterion: Ice creams which are sold in the store, and contain sugar and preservatives.

The twist: Frozen banana as a replacement of sugar in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 already ripe frozen bananas.
• A fourth table spoon of cocoa powder.
• I prefer to have a cup of vanilla.

Another option would be to include pieces of dark chocolate shaving or peanut butter.

The steps to making it are as follows:

• Combine some banana ice, some cocoa and some vanilla in a blender until it is creamy.
•  Have your ice cream immediately or put it in the freezer for half an hour for a nicer scoop.
• I once planned this for a friend and she couldn’t believe it had anything to do with bananas.

The recipe works because there’s no refined sugar, no dairy and it’s still delicious.

FINAL THOUGHTS

To sum up, it’s clear that anime has a strong and significant presence in the world of animation.

Your comfort meals can be made in a healthy way without having to feel guilty. If we simply switch out cream for yogurt, white bread for whole grain or rice for quinoa, we can keep eating our favorite foods and be more careful with our diets.

To be honest, these versions could turn out to be your favorite music. They are easy on the stomach, simple to cook and generally taste healthier.

Are you into changing your favorite comfort food to make it healthier?

I would enjoy looking at what you create or listening to your experiences. You can tag me on Instagram or post your thoughts in the comments below.

If you like it, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family.

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We can have comfort food in a healthy way—little by little.