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Comfort Foods with a Healthy Twist.

 

{Photo: Kale & Chocolate }

{Photo: Elise Museles | Kale & Chocolate }

Can you smell the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, warm and gooey right out of the oven? Do you love dipping your fork into a rich and creamy plate of mac and cheese?

Nothing beats the cozy goodness of your favorite comfort foods. These savory or sweet delights not only tantalize our taste buds, they also flood our minds with happy memories and send warm and fuzzy nostalgia through our bodies.

While comfort food brings sentiment and joy, it’s usually not filled with the most waist & heart-friendly ingredients.

And, after indulging in three helpings of Grandma’s famous mashed potatoes, you’re likely consumed with a whole lot of guilt and negative self-talk — and probably even a stomach ache to boot.

This pattern of indulge in comfort food and feel anything but comforted is the exact opposite of what you are supposed to experience when you eat comfort food in the first place.

Remember, when you beat yourself up about food, or anything else, you release stress hormones (hello, cortisol!), which decrease your metabolism and impair your digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Basically, your nerves and negativity may be doing your body just as much harm as the slice of warm apple pie.

Here’s what I know:

Completely abstaining from pleasurable, fun or comforting foods never works over the long haul. And who wants that anyway?

Filling your body with whole, nutrient-dense and real foods most of the time, and then occasionally indulging in your favorite comfort foods, is a winning formula that sticks.

When you’re open to trying healthier versions of the foods that recall happy childhood memories, then these updated “comfort foods” can do what they are supposed to do… keep you feeling comfortable in your mind and your body.

Ready to dig in? Enjoy these comfort foods with a healthy twist:

 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

{Photo: Kale & Chocolate}

{Photo: Elise Museles | Kale & Chocolate}

 

For the kid in all of us, these fries hit the spot when you need something savory to remind you of the good old days. Loaded with beta-carotene and lots of fiber, this is a nutrient-dense and just-as-tasty version of fries.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely julienned into ½-¾ inch strips
  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • A pinch of red pepper for extra spice (optional)
  • Black pepper to taste

NOTE: For variety, add in carrots and parsnips to the mix.

METHOD

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Peel sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Slice the vegetables in half lengthwise and then, if they are long, in half crosswise. Next, slice each section into approximately ½-¾ inch strips. It’s best to make the vegetables close to the same size so that they are finished at the same time.
  • Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the melted coconut oil. Mix well. Sprinkle with seasonings and use a spoon so all pieces are coated evenly with oil and spices.
  • Place vegetables in a single layer onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Set in the oven to roast. After 15 minutes, turn the sweet potatoes over and put back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Total baking time will be roughly 25-30 minutes. They are done when tender in the middle and slightly browned along the edges. Serve hot!

 

Calling all chocoholics. Come and get some:
Flour-less Garbanzo Brownies

{Photo: Kale & Chocolate }

{Photo: Elise Museles | Kale & Chocolate }

 

I could have written an entire post devoted to all the healthier versions of traditional chocolate dishes. For now, enjoy Flour-less Garbanzo Brownies made without gluten, flour or refined sugar with some sneaky beans thrown into the mix for added protein and fiber.

Serves 16

INGREDIENTS

  • 1½ cups of semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup coconut sugar (lower glycemic alternative to white sugar)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

METHOD

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a small pot, melt chocolate chips over low heat to a soft consistency. In a blender, combine beans and eggs. Add the coconut sugar, baking powder, salt and melted chocolate and blend until smooth and creamy. Coat an 8×8 inch pan with coconut oil and pour the mixture into the pan.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with fresh berries for an extra nutritional boost. Enjoy!

Here’s to these recipes finding a permanent place in your kitchen… and a special place in your heart. Eat up!

Now it’s your turn: What is your absolute favorite comfort food? Bonus points for sharing any healthy adaptions you have made on your childhood faves. Share your stories in the comments below.

 

*****

{Yum!}

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Rebelle Society

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