Comforting Mind And Body

By Jennifer Tveitens, RN, LD

As the weather begins to cool down, often our kitchens begin to heat up. Warm, filling comfort foods fill our stoves and ovens.

Many of our favorite cool weather comfort foods unfortunately carry with them a significant amount of extra carbohydrates and saturated fats. Diets high in saturated fat and carbohydrate can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Following are a few tips on how to help improve the health of your comfort foods.

·         Use lean cuts of meat. Look for the word “round” or “loin” when purchasing beef and pork, as these cuts are naturally lesser in fat. Slice off the fat on the outside of your meat when possible. Consider switching to a naturally leaner meat, such as chicken without skin, ground turkey, or venison.

·         Go completely meat-free for a dish. Add a variety of beans to provide needed protein, while also adding a good amount of fiber to your meal.

·         Have you ever heard you should make half of your plate vegetables? Apply the same rule to your soups, chili, casseroles, macaroni and cheese. There is no limit to the amount and variety of vegetables you can add. Use fresh or frozen. The more, the merrier.

·         Shift towards broth based soups and stews, and limit cream-based recipes. If you are wanting your soup to have a thicker consistency, puree cooked white beans and mix into your broth soup. This easy step will give you the creamy consistency you are looking for, while decreasing saturated fat and increasing heart-healthy fiber.

·         If you are using canned items in your recipe (broth, tomato sauce, etc.), look for reduced sodium or no salt added varieties. Instead of adding salt to your dishes, use plenty of herbs and spices to add flavor. Not only can sodium raise blood pressure, but high amounts of sodium in a meal can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable.

·         When it comes to desserts, a few small changes can go a long way. Swap some of the white flour with whole wheat flour to add good-for-you fiber. The amount of sugar can easily be reduced by one third in many recipes. The amount of fat can often also be reduced slightly in a recipe, or try substituting canola oil for butter, lard or margarine.

A few changes can go a long way. This fall and winter, focus on making your cool weather comfort foods comforting for both mind and body.