Healthy and Nourishing Comfort Food Ideas!


Comfort food, for whatever reason we eat it, does have its rightful place. It can provide us with nourishing warmth on a cool winters night just like a big warm hug can, and it can bring us pleasure in the form of something sticky and sweet when we are having a teary moment and just plain feeling like life is rough.

I don't believe we need to make comfort eating the enemy, as this can be a bit of a harsh approach since we tend to beat ourselves over the head with guilt at the best of times. This isn't such a good thing to do when we are inwardly seeking some kind of comfort.

The only concern is when we fall into the downside of comfort eating through making food choices that only satisfy our emotional needs rather than our physical needs as well (nutritious food).

The side effects of some of the not so nourishing comfort foods can end up as the very problems that may make you feel less than happy about yourself in the first place. Things like excess weight, breakouts, fatigue and even mood swings! If these aren't what cause you to comfort eat, they can certainly make things worse when you are feeling crappy from eating too many Tim Tams.

Instead, why not swap some of your favorite not-so-nourishing comfort foods for foods that make your body sing, and still taste delicious?

Its time to do a Comfort Food Makeover! This so simple and is fun to do:

Make a list of all the comfort foods you reach for when the going gets tough
♥ Now do some brainstorming on what delicious alternatives you could replace them with, things you know you cant guilt yourself out about afterwards. These still need to be things that really hit the comfort spot though, remember; healthier foods do not by any means equal boring or bland!
Get shopping!! Have these foods on hand so that you aren't tempted to reach for extra body damaging foods. Explore some new shops with your list in hand and you'll be sure to find some great alternatives!

Here are some of my favorite alternatives to the usual comfort foods:

Goji Berries & Raw cacao Nibs are full of nutrition and will really hit the sweet spot!

Spelt pasta is a great alternative to wheat as wheat can contribute to weight issues in many people

Organic Raw Cacao is a great alternative to the usual Cadbury’s bars

Coco Luscious Ice-cream is made from coconut milk and is a fabulous treat in place of cow’s milk and often additive filled ice-cream

These roasted tamari almonds are a super tasty treat for those that like their comfort salty rather than sweet.

Do you have any favourite healthy comfort foods? Please share your top tips in the comments below!

Article by Michelle Sims, a Body & Soul Coach for women who are ready to unveil the real them with a radiant body to match. Michelle is an empathic and intuitive coach who is passionate about helping women to nourish their body, nurture their soul and ultimately energize their life.

Be well,

xoxo

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2 comments

  1. Lauren says:

    What wonderful ideas! I love to make a raw cacao almond milk “hot chocolate” with loving earth raw chocolate (coconut sweetened) and warmed almond milk! I also love to make my own date-nut-goji-cacao superfood bliss balls! Raw desserts like cashew cheesecake are also a lovely treat! As for savoury food, I love to make creamy pasta with hummus! Sounds crazy but so delicious with some wheat free pasta! 🙂 xx

  2. Emma says:

    Love this article and the idea of embracing comfort foods! Banana ice cream made from frozen bananas topped with chopped raw chocolate, coconut, healthy coconut oil “ice magic”, fruit or nut butter etc. is also a great alternative to normal ice cream and something you can get creative with 🙂

    There are also some great dairy free mac and cheese recipes out there on blogs like Oh She Glows. I love substitution! xx