4 Favourite Comfort Foods That You Could Eat With Healthier Versions
It’s hard to imagine that you could have your cake and eat it too, but with healthier versions of your favourite warm, cheesy, gooey, crispy, or carb-y comfort foods— well, you really can.
We’ve taken the ‘ew’ out of ‘gooey’ by replacing fried with baked and wheat with veg while keeping the integrity of the comfort food classification.
Keep up, we’ve got a lot to cover.
1. Mac’ and Cheese
YES, you CAN have mac’ and cheese. Even if you’re gluten-free. Even if you’re dairy-free.
The secret? We’re replacing synthetic, artificially flavoured cheese with pumpkin or butternut squash.
The method:
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Cook your favourite pasta (for gluten-free try lentil pasta or rice pasta) according to package instructions. Set aside.
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Take (or butternut squash) and cook in a pot of boiling water until tender. Drain and transfer the pumpkin to a blender along with, (can be non-dairy milk), and. If you eat dairy, add and.
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Blend until smooth and mix with the pasta
2. French Fries
We have four words for you. Baked Sweet Potato Fries. These are some of the most delicious things to bless this good earth. They’re also filled with many essential nutrients that you’re missing out on with regular fries, like vitamins A, C, B-complex vitamins, and many minerals. These are for the gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan crowds, and they fit nicely into a balanced diet.
The method:
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Peel and cut them in half. Putting the flat side on the cutting board, slice ½-inch slices. Then lay the slices down and cut ½-inch pieces.
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Transfer the sweet potato to a bowl and drizzle. Mix well to coat and transfer to a baking sheet, spreading them out so they don’t overlap. Sprinkle and place in the oven at 400 F/200 C for 35-45 min.
3. Lasagna
There’s an easy way to make lasagna healthier, low-carb, and gluten-free, and it’s almost too simple. Get out your favorite lasagna recipe and swap those noodles for eggplant.
The method:
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Slice lengthwise into ¼-½-inch slices. Salt each piece and let them sit for 20-25 minutes until they have ‘sweat.’ Rinse off the salt and dry them with a clean towel.
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Spread on the bottom of a baking sheet and spread out the slices so they are not overlapping. Brush each slice with and sprinkle over all the pieces.
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Bake in the oven on 400 F/200 C for 15-20 min or until soft. Remove and let cool. Repeat until all of the eggplants are cooked.
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Use the eggplant slices instead of lasagna noodles!
4. Spaghetti and Meatballs
This time, you’re using your favorite meatball recipe and replacing the wheat spaghetti with zoodles. Zoodles are noodles made from zucchini, and they can be made in a spiralizer, peeled or sliced thinly.
The method:
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Spiralize/peel/thinly-slice 3 large zucchinis.
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To sauté: Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large pan on medium heat. Add the noodles to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften. Transfer to a plate
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To boil: Add the zoodles to a pot of boiling water and cook for one minute. Transfer to a colander and drain, then to a plate that has been lined with paper towel. Use another paper towel to blot and dry from the top. Transfer to a clean plate.
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Top with your favorite meatballs and sauce.
Healthy eating does NOT mean giving up on your favorite foods. Experiment with different vegetables to find healthier versions of those classic comfort dishes.
Use the swipe right feature to tag what you want, swipe left on what you don’t, and HowUdish will get even better at showing you restaurants with dishes you’ll love. Download the HowUdish App now!
Photo by MSPhotographic/Shutterstock.com
