Eating Healthier Comfort Foods

It is a given fact that to lose weight you must eat healthy. To most people, that means giving up some of their favorite foods or their comfort foods. That is a big sacrifice to make, especially over the long haul.

Is it possible to get the best of both the worlds? Yes, it is! It is possible to eat healthier comfort foods and lose weight at the same time. How? All you need to do is to replace some of the more fattening ingredients with healthier alternatives and you have yourself a healthy dish! Your favorite foods will still taste good but with a healthier twist.

Here are some examples of ways you can make your favorite dishes healthier by substituting certain ingredients:

Bacon - Many of our favorite recipes have bacon in them. You can still use bacon, but try a healthier version of it like turkey bacon. Another option is to use fake bacon since it has less fat grams and fewer calories.

Chicken – Remove the skin before adding chicken in your favorite dishes. This is the unhealthiest part of the chicken. Chicken can be a great protein for you but only if eaten without the skin.

Cocoa - Substitute cocoa instead of real chocolate for some dishes as a healthier alternative. It also gives you more control over the amount of sugar added.

Eggs - Eggs are present in almost every recipe. An alternative would be to try using egg substitute products or even egg whites instead of the whole egg.

Flour - Using whole-wheat flour instead of the usual bleached white flour is very healthy and it can add a little extra something to your favorite dishes. Whole-wheat noodles are better for you too if you must have your pasta fix.

Honey - Sometimes honey can be used in place of sugar in your favorite recipes. It still gives you that sweet taste, but it’s better for your body. Of course, you can also use artificial sweeteners if you like, but some people just don’t care for the aftertaste.

Olive Oil - Olive oil is a healthier option. Use it as a substitute in your dishes in place of corn oil. A few less calories add up to increased weight loss!

Two more tips for eating your favorite food while losing weight:

• 1. Eat them less frequently: Instead of eating them everyday, try cutting them down to once a week or better still, once a month.
• 2. Cut down the portion size: If your favorite food has a lot of calories, then eat only a half portion to cut your calories by 50%. However, this tip does require you to have self-control because it is too tempting to reach for the other half of the serving.

 Eat healthier, but don’t give up all of your favorite dishes before you find out if there are healthier alternative ingredients you can use instead of some of the unhealthier ones that you normally put in your recipes.

With careful substitutions, eating comfort foods less often and cutting down on the serving size, it is possible to eat healthier comfort foods and lose weight.