Chilly weather and shorter days conjure up thoughts of comfort food! There are many physical, emotional and psychological reasons why thinking of certain foods give us positive feelings. Besides how delicious these foods taste to us, a dish might stir up happy memories of a special person or event.
So why would we ever want to mess with such delicious recipes?
Practically speaking, we may have physical challenges with these foods, such as:
- Gluten or dairy sensitivities
- Nut or stone fruit allergies
- Unwanted digestive issues, such as gas, bloat, indigestion
- Blood sugar rollercoaster issues
- Many days of activities and would prefer not to feel “heavy”
Changing just a few ingredients may allow us to enjoy our favorite foods again!
Focus on Flavor
In my opinion, the most important thing to focus on when it comes to changing recipes is flavor. Here are several hacks:
- If you use dried herbs, be sure to taste-test the herbs prior to adding to your dish. Dried herbs tend to lose their flavor over time.
- Substitute fresh herbs for dried. As a rule, you will use 2 – 3 times the fresh herbs as dried and they are usually added towards the end of the cooking process. Growing your own herbs gives you a chance to use ones unavailable in stores. For example, I have a lemon thyme that I use with chicken that adds just a little different twist to a dish.
- Use good quality salt. Believe it or not, different salt brands taste differently. Two brands of “sea salt” may have completely unique tastes based on where they come from. For example, Red Diamond Salt is a favorite of chefs because it enhances a dish’s flavor without being too salty. Morton’s Kosher Salt tastes very salty. Milton’s has a smoked finishing salt that is mainly used at the end of cooking or baking. I regularly choose from 5 different salts, depending upon the dish I’m making. This tip is especially important if you’ve been told to watch your salt intake.
- Bone broth. The absolute best flavor comes from making your own broth and, while it takes time, it is very easy and so much better nutritionally and taste-wise than store-bought options. (Read to the end to get my homemade bone broth recipe.)
- Roast your meat or vegetables. Roasting adds a deep depth of flavor. Roasted vegetables make great side dishes and are especially good on pizza.
- Slow cooking allows flavors to marry together over time.
- When grilling or roasting, season your meat and/or vegetables more than you think.
- Continue to season meat and vegetables throughout the cooking process, instead of just at the end.
- Experiment with chilis. Not all chilis are extremely hot. I love adding roasted, mild Hatch chilis to Mexican dishes or grains, like rice and quinoa.
- Use fresh garlic and onions. If they bother you digestively, go ahead and cook your dish using whole garlic cloves and large pieces of onion for flavor, then remove them entirely at the end.
Omit or Reduce Cheese
I personally think that cheese makes everything taste better, but it can also cause digestive problems after eating. It basically comes down to our body’s ability to properly digest fats. To avoid the gas and bloat that dairy may cause, omit cheese that’s used on top of a dish.
If you feel lasagna just isn’t lasagna without cheese, try cutting the amount of cheese by half and increasing the amount of herbs, like oregano, for flavor. You can also sprinkle on nutritional yeast to get a cheesy flavor but none of the digestive discomfort.
What About Noodles?
Nearly everyone loves pasta, however, dried and packaged versions (including gluten-free varieties!) are highly processed and use sub-par ingredients so they hardly resemble the taste and feel of freshly-made pasta.
Therefore, enjoy pasta occasionally and use fresh varieties, if possible. You can also enjoy these dishes by substituting pasta noodles with thinly sliced or spiralized zucchini, sliced eggplant or other squash like delicata or patty pan. Place a rich “spaghetti” meat sauce over sweet potatoes. For soups and stews, substitute farro or barley for pasta. Farro is an ancient grain that is higher in protein and fiber than store-bought pasta. Barley contains magnesium, iron and vitamin B6. They are both easy to make and can help your dish feel heartier.
Side note: If you’re interested in seeing what’s required to make exceptional pasta, watch episode 1 of Netflix’s Chef’s Table Pasta series. Located in Los Angeles, this chef has become a true master at making authentic pasta. You’ll never consider dried pasta again!
Other Ideas
Turn your entrée into a soup or salad. For example, slice your steak cross-wise and eat it over salad. Craving a hamburger? Find a recipe for hamburger soup. Ground beef is perfect for stuffed bell peppers, and I included my favorite recipe below.
Swapping Out Sugar
When it comes to desserts, substituting another source for cane sugar isn’t always the best option. There are both natural and artificial sweetener options. Obviously, artificial sweeteners are just that – chemicals that are combined and processed to give foods a sweet taste. Our bodies don’t recognize these chemicals, and, therefore, the body gets confused when trying to process them, so avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible. But what about natural sweeteners? Are they better than cane sugar?
Natural sweeteners include stevia, monk fruit, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, allulose and variations of fruit like date paste, applesauce, banana puree and real fruit jam.
Natural sweeteners are hands-down better than artificial because, like cane sugar, the body recognizes and knows how to process them. However, not all natural sweeteners are created equal — some contain calories, and some have nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates.
Some natural sweeteners actually taste sweeter than cane sugar, such as stevia which is 50 – 400 times sweeter than sugar, and monk fruit, which is 250 times sweeter than sugar. These sweeter tastes can cause a higher glucose reaction in our bodies. And while stevia and monk fruit are recognized by the body, both are highly processed.
Allulose, which naturally occurs in fruits, is only 70% as sweet as sugar and is low in calories, too. Honey, arguably the oldest natural sweetener, has many health benefits as it is anti-viral and anti-bacterial, it may increase antioxidants in the body and may lower inflammation and cholesterol.
When it comes to swapping out cane sugar for another sweetener, there is no perfect option. I recommend choosing a natural sweetener over artificial. With respect to natural sweeteners, it’s best to select a less-processed option, like honey or maple syrup, as more research needs to be done on the effects stevia and monk fruit have on the body.
In conclusion, elevating our favorite comfort foods with additional flavor and nutrition can help us relive happy memories while sticking to our health goals. And making new versions may also help us make new happy memories!
Typical comfort foods and suggestions to make them lighter:
| Comfort Food | Item to Swap | What to Swap With |
| Lasagna, pasta | Noodles | Zucchini or spaghetti squash “noodles” |
| Tacos, burritos, etc. | Tortillas | Omit completely and eat as a rice or zoodle bowl, stuff favorite taco filling into bell or chili peppers |
| Beef Stew | Potatoes | Omit completely, can add barley or farro |
| Roast Beef | Potatoes | Omit completely or make a barley or farro side dish |
| Meatloaf | Ground beef | Combine 1/3 ground beef with 2/3 leaner ground meats, like turkey and/or lamb |
| Pizza | Flour crust | Cauliflower crust |
| Pizza | Cheese | Omit completely or use a little ricotta or parmesan cheese |
| Pizza | Red sauce | Pesto or white sauce (be sure to watch salt and/or sugar content) |
| Shepherd’s Pie | Mashed potatoes | Use sweet potato or cauliflower mash |
| Hamburgers | Bun, cheese, condiments | Omit cheese and sauces, season burger very well before cooking, place over lettuce, tomato, onion, relish, etc. |
| Macaroni & cheese | Noodles | Zucchini or spaghetti squash “noodles” |
| Macaroni & cheese | Cheese, milk | Cut cheese sauce in half and/or use nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor |
| Chicken Pot Pie | Crust | One phyllo dough topping instead of two crusts |
| Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Bread, cheese | Grill bread cheese (it’s not what you think!) to dip in tomato soup |
| Mashed, Au Gratin or Loaded Baked Potatoes | Potatoes | Farro and mushroom dish, mashed cauliflower |
| Casseroles | Cheese, cream | Sheet pan recipes featuring meat and veggies |
| Fried Chicken | Frying in oil | Roasted or crockpot versions |
| Creamy Soups | Cream | Omit cream |
| Chicken Noodle Soup | Noodles | Omit or use barley or farro |
Recipes:
Beef or Chicken Bone Broth
- 2 – 3 lbs chicken or beef bones, frozen or thawed
- Scraps of cut vegetables and herbs, like carrots, onions, celery, parsley, thyme – optional
Using a 6-quart slow cooker, place bones on bottom of slow cooker. If using scraps, place them on top of the bones. Fill slow cooker with water, leaving 1” to 1 ½” of space at the top. Place lid on slow cooker and heat on low for 12 – 24 hours. Check periodically and add water if necessary. Cool, discard bones and scraps, and use within a few days or freeze for future use.
Tip: Save vegetable scraps from cooking in a bag and place in freezer. Add future scraps until bag is full. I usually make broth once I have a full bag of vegetable scraps.
Note: This homemade version does not contain salt, so you’ll need to taste and add salt as needed.
Stuffed Bell Pepper
Recipe adapted from OneDishKitchen.com
- 2 bell peppers (use green, red, yellow or orange)
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz ground beef
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 small tomato, chopped, optional
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- Feta cheese crumbles, optional
Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking dish.
Trim peppers: Cut ¼-inch from the stem end of the bell pepper to remove the top of the pepper. Remove the seeds and membrane and slice in half, lengthwise.
Make stuffing: Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook stirring occasionally for 30 seconds more.
Add ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Bake: Fill pepper halves with the meat mixture. Place peppers in baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until peppers are soft.
Remove from oven and sprinkle on cheese crumbles, if using.
