Truly Healthy Comfort Food

These dishes are just as tasty and satisfying as their traditional counterparts, but each is under 500 calories.

By Robin Miller, R.D.

What is it about winter days that make us yearn for those rich, bliss-inducing dishes we call comfort food? They may remind us of staying home from school with a cold, Mom serving us a bowl of chicken-noodle soup, or even Sunday suppers at Grandma's house eating her famous mac 'n' cheese. But that's just part of it, according to Nancy Bertsch, R.D., co-author of Cooking for Life. "Equally enticing are the creamy and starchy ingredients--pasta, cheese, potatoes--that characterize many favorite recipes. Fat is satiating, and carbohydrates are our prime source of energy. We crave both," Bertsch says. "You can still savor the flavor as well as the 'experience' of comfort foods by making a few simple changes, such as serving smaller portions or substituting high-fat ingredients with reduced-fat options." We've slimmed down six classic dishes so that not one of them contains more than 500 calories. So go ahead, indulge--you won't feel a bit of guilt.