Comfort food is the food that makes us feel good. Unfortunately our favorite comfort foods are not always healthy for us. Luckily, nutritionist and Food Network host, Ellie Krieger was in "house" to give us edible proof that we don't have to choose between our favorite foods and our well being. In her book, Comfort Food Fix, Ellie gives us a few simple techniques to put a healthy twist on our favorite comfort food dishes.
We give you the 15 FIX FACTORS:
1. Get Creamy, (Nearly) Creamlessly: cut half the mayo or whipped cream in a recipe and substitute Greek yogurt
2. Go Halfies: split the difference by using half whole eggs and half egg whites or half whole-grain and half all-purpose flour
3. Unfry: Get the same crispy texture by baking
4. Boost Veggies and Beans: add extra produce into recipes to amp up the nutritional value, like this Focaccia bread that includes California Grapes. Yum!
5. Bake Better: use purees like applesauce in your baking to replace the fat typically used
6. Oil Well: use oil sparingly instead of glug-glugging it in
7. Go Lo-So: reduce sodium buy using the freshest, high quality ingredients possible
8. Be a Cheese Wiz: use less cheese than a recipe calls for and put it on the top of a dish where you can see it all
9. Sweeten Smartly: use unrefined sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and molasses
10. Add Whole Grain: Simply using whole grain pasta, brown rice, or whole grain bread instead of their refined white counterparts dramatically boosts the fiber, antioxidants, and minerals in a dish
11. Think CTP (Cut-Trim-Portion): no need to give up red meat, just do it right by getting the leanest cut, trimming off the fat and cooking sensible portions
12. Keep it Real: Sometimes a little of the real thing goes a long way like using two slices of real bacon instead of 4 slices of tofu bacon
13. Use a Bit of Butter: you get it :)
14. Cook to Keep Nutrients and Lose Fat: steam or microwave vegetables instead of boiling them to preserve the water-soluble vitamins
15. Repro-Portion: eat a sensible portion size