5 healthy comfort food recipes to warm tummies this fall season

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With the chilling of the weather and the somber feel of the season, you can’t help but crave for something warm and comforting to give you a soothing feel of satisfaction. This is why the comfort food we remember during fall is often depicted by hot steam, gooey goodness, and thick consistency. Unfortunately, most of these tasty and savory treats come with extra calories that are not great for our health.

Luckily, there are ways to make calorie-rich comfort foods lighter and healthier. Here is a list of the top 5 healthy comfort food recipes to try for a warmer tummy this fall.

Veggie Mac & Cheese

The Greatist recommends adding vegetables to everyone’s all-time favorite comfort food. Adding spinach, peas, tomatoes, and broccoli will not only make this delicious meal into a healthier alternative, it can also be a great swap if you’re having vegetarian guests for dinner. What more, better skip the boxed, microwavable version and make you own batch using this recipe from Martha Stewart.

White Turkey Chili

Chili is perfect for fall and football season, with the promise of making people satisfied, energized, and extremely competitive when it comes to watching their favorite football teams play. Eating Well recommends that in order to reduce the saturated fat in the concoction, swap the protein to ground turkey and bulgur. Check out the recipe here.

Sweet Potato Shepherd Pie

This pie is sprinkled with every Southern style loving befitted of a comfort food. However, it is also rich in unwanted fats, carbs and calories that is why Good Housekeeping suggests using sweet potato instead. Adding in more collard greens and using lean turkey can even upgrade the nutrients content that you’ll wonder why you’ve never done this swap before. Check out the recipe here.

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti & Meatballs

The Greatist adds that nothing spells classic better than a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. However, it is also rich in fats, calories and refined carbs to make your health conscious self fear for your weight. Instead of using a classic pasta, make sure to try switching to whole wheat or squash made pasta. Turkey can also serve as a great alternative for beef when making the meatballs.

Southern Style Oven-Fried Chicken

A list of comfort foods is never complete with the tasty, well-loved classic fried chicken. Unfortunately, as it is fried, saturated fats, unwanted calories, and added bad cholesterol may change your mind about taking a bite. Eating Wells suggests to remove skin and replace it with a light coat of flour and sesame seeds to have the same crunchy bite. Check out the recipe here.