Food that is good for us must be unhealthy, right? Wrong. Comfort foods don't necessarily pile on the pounds.
Many of us turn to ice cream, crisps and chocolate when we are down. Yet 40 per cent of our favourite foods are actually homemade. Here's some healthy versions of your favourite comfort dishes.
Macaroni cheese
Pasta is a great choice for weight loss. It's low in fat and has a low glycaemic index. This means it keeps blood sugar levels steady, preventing cravings for sweet foods. Opting for wholewheat pasta will add more fibre to fill you up.
Cheese sauce isn't the nutritional nasty you might think - providing you make it using low-fat spread, skimmed milk and reduced-fat cheddar. Both cheese and milk are packed with protein. Not only are they rich in calcium but they strengthen your bones and help keep fat from your stomach.
Stews and casseroles
These one-pot wonders provide a well-balanced meal, as long as you don't add lots of oil or serve with dumplings. Using lean meat or skinless chicken cuts fat and calories, while potatoes provide energy-giving complex carbs.
Adding veg, such as onions, carrots, parsnips and leek, boosts fibre, vitamins and minerals. And if you really want the comfort factor, throw in a handful of barley, lentils or beans - they're rich in protein and fibre and will make you feel more satisfied.
Bowl of soup
Soup brings back childhood memories of being looked after when you're ill, so no wonder we turn to it to cheer us up when we're down.
It's good news for the waistline too. Soup makes a filling starter so we eat less at our main meal.
To keep calories down, opt for lower-fat soups like vegetable, carrot or minestrone, rather than creamed varieties. Or make your own by liquidising some of your favourite stew. Serve with wholegrain bread for a comforting light meal.
Potato dishes
Whether they're mashed, roasted, chipped or baked, spuds are true comfort food. All potato dishes provide energy-giving carbs and some vitamin C. Plus, spuds in their skins are fibre providers.
To cut fat and calories, use skimmed milk and low-fat spread in mash rather than cream and butter and brush roasties with olive oil instead of pouring it straight from the bottle,
Fruit puddings with custard
Baked apple, rhubarb crumble and plum pie are the perfect partners for Sunday roasts in winter. They also provide one of the five recommended daily servings of fruit and veg.
Apples are one of the top four foods for satisfying hunger, even better than wholemeal bread, brown rice or All-Bran.
For pies and crumbles, use wholemeal flour, sunflower margerine and only one layer of pastry - either on the top to make a pie or on the bottom to make a flan.
Bowl of porridge
Porrige is perfect for cold winter mornings. Oats have a low glycaemic index so a bowl of porridge should keep blood sugar levels steady until lunchtime, preventing the mid-morning munchies.
Starchy carbs like oats also boost levels of feel-good brain chemical serotonin which affects the part of the brain regulating appetite. Boosting its level means we're less likely to overeat.
Article reproduced from www.supanet.com
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