Give Your Favorite Comfort Foods a Healthy Twist!
By Sara Butler
When you're feeling under the weather or you've had a rough day, you probably don't look forward to a big, steaming bowl of fresh kale to set you right -- do you? No, instead you want that chicken soup or gooey grilled cheese to help make you feel better.
Comfort foods can't -- and really shouldn't -- be avoided in your life. Sometimes you need them. But the fact that they're often high-calorie, high-fat treats aren't doing you any favors in the health department. There is a way you can merge your health and wellness goals with the comfort foods you crave and that's by making them a little bit healthier. Here are a few tips you can use to make the comfort foods you crave when you're mad, tired, stressed, or a combination of all three, not so bad for you.
Find a New Way to Fry
Love fried chicken? Well, you don't have to avoid it your whole life in order to maintain your health, simply find a different way to fry it up. You can try oven frying your chicken by dredging it up in egg and flour as your normally would but baking it in the oven instead. This can help cut some serious calories from it. Or get one of those newfangled air fryers and experiment with ways to fry up your favorite recipe.
Opt for Whole Grains
If you can replace at least half the white flour in your favorite baking recipes with whole wheat flour, you can add a lot more fiber into your day. Whole wheat flour can also help you to get more vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and Vitamin B. Experiment with ratios of different flours in your baked goods to find a combination that's right for your palate and still gives you the comfort food vibe.
Go for Good Fat
Butter may make things taste better, but it doesn't make things healthier. And while you may not be able to cut butter out of your cooking completely, there are some situations where better fats can be substituted.
To help cut down on saturated fats in your food, try using olive oil where you can in recipes. Butter has, tablespoon for tablespoon, about seven times the amount of saturated fats as olive oil, so do your heart a favor and make the switch where you can.
No one said you have to give up your comfort foods when the weather outside if frightful. But bring them into the 21st century with a healthy twist!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Hoboken, N.J.