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Feeling sad, low, lonely, hurt or just a sudden urge, comfort foods are said to be very comforting. Studies have shown that these foods activates your brain’s reward system, attributed strongly with an uplift in your mood. They are warm and hug your soul and tell you they’re there. You get the undivided attention and you are stress free and relaxed. And when you realise that it comes with truck loads of calories attached, stress of ‘why did I eat it’ follows. But when you need comfort, you just need it! So how to deal with it? Well, how would it be if we reduced the calories for some of the comfort foods, so that they stay comforting with no other strings attached!
Believe us, you won’t be compromising on the taste or the pleasure of these foods but you’ll be able to have them guilt free! Yay! So, party time is on.
5 incredibly delicious yet healthy comfort foods
Mouthwatering Mashed Potatoes
Calories: 144 per serving (1/2 cup)
Craving for some gooey, yummy, salty and mildly spiced comfort food? Mashed potatoes is first on the list of low-cal comfort foods. Who said potatoes are bad? They’re bad only when you punish them in the pan with liters of oil. No frying! Mashed potatoes are boiled making them super low on calories as the hot water removes the starch to almost half, keeping their comforting property up high.
What you’ll need:
Potatoes: 2-3 Large. Boiled and Peeled.
Milk: 1/2 cup. Warm.
Garlic Cloves: 3-4. Crushed or Chopped.
Salted butter: 1 tablespoon.
Salt to taste.
Black Pepper: Ground. As per your taste.
Serves: 4
How to go about it:
Place a pan on low flame and add butter. Add the crushed or chopped garlic and potatoes. Mash everything well into a gooey paste. Add milk slowly and keep mixing. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. You could choose to add oregano to make it a little more flavourful.
BOB (Banana, Oats and Blueberry) Pancakes
Calories: 125 per pancake (medium size)
Banana, oats and blueberry are all healthy. How about combining them and adding a few more ingredients to make some super yummy pancakes? They’re both healthy and serve as crazy comfort food. The spongy texture, lingering sweetness, and the bursting blueberries are just blissful.
What you’ll need:
Oats: 1 1/2 cup. Ground coarsely.
Baking Soda: 1/2 teaspoon
Baking Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoon
Salt: 1 pinch
Eggs: 2. Beaten
Honey: 3 tablespoons
Milk: 1 cup. Warm
Banana: 1 large. Peeled and mashed.
Blueberries: 1/2 cup
Oil: 4 tablespoons and keep some extra handy.
Serves: 8
How to go about it:
In a large mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Beat the eggs lightly in another bowl. Add honey, milk, mashed bananas and whisk. Combine this with the dry ingredients part by part until mixed well. Add the fresh blueberries and set aside. You could also choose to add chopped walnuts to the batter. Heat the pan and spread the batter little by little on to make small pancakes. Add oil and flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown. Serve hot with honey and more blueberries.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake:
Calories: 141 per slice
Chocolate is like the dreamiest and the most comforting food of all time. But what’s with the free flowing calories that come along? Let’s make a healthy one with it. The yummy chocolate and the soothing peanut butter; aah heaven!
What you’ll need:
Whole Wheat Flour: 1/2 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder: 1/4 cup
Baking Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoon
Eggs: 1. Whites only.
Peanut Butter: 1/3 cup (pick one without sugar)
Organic Honey: 1/4 cup
Vanilla Essence: 1 teaspoon
Serves: 7
How to go about it:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and sieve. Beat the egg whites with honey and peanut butter and add the vanilla essence. Add the beaten mixture, portion by portion, to the dry mixture and whisk well until combined well. Line a cake mould with parchment paper and pour the batter into it. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 mins or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on the wire and serve with unsweetened applesauce.
Cream Cheese Macaroni:
Calories: 200 per serving (1/2 cup)
Yes, yes we know that cream and cheese are badass and make your diet go for a huge toss. But hey, check this recipe out! It’s not as unhealthy as it sounds. You get the delighting taste and the gratification of being comforted with this beauty.
What you’ll need:
Macaroni: 2 cups, boiled
All purpose flour: 2 teaspoons
Milk: 1 cup
Salted Butter: 1 teaspoon
Cream Cheese: 20 grams (approximately 1 tablespoons)
Pepper: As per your taste
Salt to taste
Serves: 4
How to go about it:
On low flame, add butter in a pan. Once the butter melts add the all purpose flour and mix. Stirring continuously, add milk to this and ensure no lumps. Add the boiled macaroni and the cream cheese. If the consistency is not up to the mark then add the macaroni stock to it little by little. Add salt to taste and ground pepper as per your liking. Serve hot.
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Spicy Seasoned Chickpea Treat:
Calories: 150 per serving (1 cup)
Chickpeas are super rich in nutrients. From iron and zinc to phosphorus and proteins; Chickpeas are also a great source of dietary fiber. But eating plain, boiled chickpeas is boring. Spice it up and you have a snack that zingy and very rich. Taste it to believe it!
What you’ll need:
Chickpeas: 2 cups, boiled.
Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons
Garlic Powder: 1 teaspoon
Onion Powder: 1 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Serves: 2
How to go about it:
In a shallow pan, heat oil. Add all the spices and toss in the chickpeas. Stir fry for a bit and serve hot. Goes great with a dash of mint. Add freshly squeezed lemon to top it off.
Now that you have the recipes, what are you waiting for? Indulge but don’t over indulge. Let these appetizing, delightful, and luscious delectables take you on a heavenly joyride. Hope you have an enticing experience having these low-cal comforting foods. Which one would you prefer? The sweet or the ones with a spicy tinge? Leave us a comment below. Until we come back with some more delectable dishes for you, stay happy, stay healthy!
