Comfort foods like chicken pot pie, hearty beef stews or decadent chocolate cakes don’t have to be detrimental to weight loss plans – with just a few adjustments they’ll satisfy cravings while helping achieve your weight goals!
These healthy comfort food recipes come together quickly, boasting nutritious ingredients. Give one of them a try tonight!
1. Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Comfort foods tend to be high in calories and fat content, but you don’t need to sacrifice flavor when creating lighter versions. This mouthwatering recipe uses cauliflower as a low-cal base that won’t weigh you down like flour and milk would.
Tender chicken, egg noodles and vegetables simmered in an aromatic broth make this healthy take on classic pot pie an easy one-pot dinner for an intimate dinner in.
This delicious weeknight casserole is packed with nutritious vegetables and protein-rich beans for optimal nutrition, as well as a secret ingredient–chopped cauliflower–that adds subtle nutty notes without increasing calories. Sure to become a family favorite! Make extra to have leftovers. When reheating it be sure to add a splash of milk to thin out any overly thick soup to avoid it becoming too dense in your refrigerator!
2. Ginger Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has long been considered an effective remedy against colds, and this recipe takes it one step further with soothing ginger and nutrient-packed veggies. Even better: this meal comes together quickly using convenient precooked rotisserie chicken.
Brown Rice and Cauliflower is an easy way to make a filling and nutritious dinner that is low-cal, high-fiber, and Weight Watchers approved. Serve this hearty comfort food alongside fresh winter salad and popovers for a complete family-friendly meal that everyone will love.
This slow-cooker meal packs extra protein from okra, tomatoes, yellow summer squash and black-eyed peas that contribute lower carbs while saving points by swapping out ground beef with lentils – both provide similar textures yet offer far more nutrition! Give this plant-forward version of gumbo to the whole family today.
3. Chicken Mushroom Soup
Nothing beats a comforting bowl of soup on a cold winter night! These nutritious recipes offer comforting warmth while providing plenty of nourishment that keeps you feeling healthy rather than lethargic and lazy.
This creamy chicken mushroom soup features homemade cream of mushroom soup flavor, slices of fresh mushrooms, and tender chicken pieces for maximum moisture and taste. Add herbs for an earthy touch and extra zest!
This healthy variation of mac and cheese includes cauliflower to add fiber for extra nutrition, then is finished off with crunchy breadcrumbs to give an irresistibly satisfying texture that rivals that of its original form.
4. Waldorf Chicken Salad Wrap
As temperatures turn chillier, nothing beats a hearty bowl of soup or casserole to bring comfort. Unfortunately, many such hearty favorites contain too many calories, fat and sodium for optimal consumption.
We have you covered with a range of delicious yet healthy recipes designed to fulfill comfort food cravings while helping you meet weight loss. From baked mac and cheese, sloppy joes, and chicken pot pie – classic dishes have been updated to include more veggies, lower calories and reduced fat!
This twist on a classic salad features skin-on chicken thighs coated with crunchy panko and fresh vegetables layered in creamy yogurt dressing for an irresistibly delicious wrap that makes an ideal lunch or light dinner option for all the family.
5. Caesar Salad with Blackened Tilapia
Comfort food often earns itself an unfavorable reputation due to being high in calories, fat and sodium content. But with some clever tweaks you can still create tasty comforting dishes without feeling guilty later.
Tilapia is an excellent source of lean protein and this dish utilizes its robust smoky and spicy flavors with only common pantry items. Blackening, derived from Cajun cuisine, allows the outside surface of the fish to become crispy while keeping its juicy interior moist and flavorful.
This casserole is packed with vegetables and lean protein for an easy weeknight dinner option that only takes 20 minutes to prepare! If zucchini is unavailable, spiralized noodles (zoodles) make for an even healthier dish! Perfect for cold winter nights when comfort food cravings arise, this hearty casserole will satisfy them quickly!
6. Creamy Bacon Quiche
Quiche may not sound comforting, but this creamy dessert certainly is! Made with chicken, cheeses and vegetables for maximum coziness. Perfect for serving large groups!
Crispy bacon and Colby cheese come together in this delicious quiche recipe to produce a delightful, melt-in-your-mouth treat! For added ease and time savings, use premade frozen pie crust instead.
Quiche differs from frittata recipes in that its consistency is light and delicate, thanks to the use of cream and milk instead of eggs as its main constituents. As such, quiche offers an ideal lighter breakfast, lunch or dinner option; plus it makes an awesome potluck dish! Plus you can easily prepare this dish ahead of time; just prep it the day before then pop it in the freezer until baking time!
7. Zucchini Noodles
If you love comfort food but are striving to reach your diet goals, don’t despair: We have you covered. These healthier versions of classic dishes boast lower calorie counts and increased nutrition content.
This flavorful comfort food recipe, featuring chicken thighs and vegetables in a creamy casserole form, uses herbs, broth and white wine for an intoxicating combination of bright flavors – ready in only 10 minutes.
Zucchini noodles, commonly referred to as “zoodles,” make an impressive alternative in this zesty pesto chicken dish featuring Cajun shrimp for healthy protein. You can make your zoodles using any combination of a spiralizer, mandoline, spiral peeler and knife; these low-carb substitutes absorb all of the flavors from this delightful one-pan meal and offer delicious satisfaction every time! This one-pan option makes an easy weeknight dinner option!
8. Ziti Pasta
When the cravings for comfort food arise, don’t stray too far from your healthy diet goals. Delicious dishes like macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie and hearty chili with cheddar can all be transformed into more healthful versions for better overall nutrition.
Baked ziti brings together all the comforting flavors of Italian comfort food in one delicious yet easy casserole dish, unlike lasagna’s more laborious assembly process. In this version using ziti pasta — which looks similar to penne rigate but has straight ends rather than its signature angled ones — as the base, bake ziti offers delicious Italian comfort food in one deliciously satisfying treat.
Cook the ziti until al dente, then transfer to an oven-proof baking dish. Layer with Provolone, sour cream and mozzarella cheeses before topping with remaining ziti and some additional grated Parmesan. Bake until heated through and the cheeses melt completely.
9. Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna casserole is an irresistibly comforting classic that’s enjoyed across American homes, from potlucks and parties to sick friends as an act of care. Usually composed of canned tuna, cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles and crushed potato chips as toppings – tuna casserole is sure to please.
For a healthier version of this dish, swap out canned cream of mushroom soup with homemade creamy sauce, and replace buttery potato chips with low-calorie toasted breadcrumbs as a topping. Moreover, consider enhancing it by including diced onions and mushrooms to give more depth of flavor and texture to the tuna noodle casserole dish.
Boil egg noodles to al dente before rinsing them under cold water before mixing with tuna, cream of mushroom soup and frozen peas. For an extra cheesy dish add 1 cup of shredded cheddar before topping with breadcrumbs for baking.
10. Sweet Potato Casserole
Comfort food can provide the perfect comfort on a blustery winter day, sparking fond memories and providing that satisfying feeling that comes from eating well. But too often comfort foods contain too much fat, sugar and calories – leaving us lethargic the following morning after overindulging!
These recipes have been carefully developed to offer all of the flavor, texture, and appearance of comfort food without the excessive calories! Give one of these healthy weeknight dinners a try today to satisfy cravings while keeping calorie count in check!