Need ideas for that Comfort Food feeling without the Comfort Food Calories!

cmriverside wrote: »

I had to stop looking at food as an emotional regulation device.




That said, whatever foods you like can be eaten in moderation. It doesn't always have to be salads. I have a salad maybe three times a week, and I've been maintaining a healthy weight for over eight years.

This^

Don't radically change your eating habits to lose weight because when you do get to goal you will need to figure things out (again). Keeping the weight off takes work too.

I eat salad a few times a week. But I also eat sandwiches, soups, casseroles, etc.

Go to SkinnyTaste.com or CookingLight.com. Find your favorite dishes and learn how to tweak them. Example: reduced calorie Mac'n Cheese. Add some cauliflower to bump up the serving size, use 2% dairy, use stronger flavored cheese (I can use less).

I use a lot of substitutions to make my favorite foods healthier. Skinnytaste.com and hungrygirl.com are great sites for that, but honestly Pinterest has become my best friend when it comes to finding recipes!

Here are some substitutions I've starting using (you can search these on Pinterest and get lots of recipe ideas):
* Riced cauliflower instead of rice (this is great for soaking up sauces like curries)
* Cauliflower cream sauce instead of alfredo
* Spaghetti squash instead of pasta
* Coconut milk instead of cream (for creamy sauces and curries)
* Fruit juice instead of sweeteners
* Half sandwich instead of a whole one, with extra things on the side (pickles, celery w/ peanut butter, fruit, veggies & hummus)
* Salads- mix it up! Usually I use typical veggies (tomato, cucumber, olives, red onion, celery) but sometimes I mix it up and instead make one that's fruit and nut based (strawberries, tangerine wedges, goat cheese, almonds, olive oil & lemon juice dressing). I'll switch up the protein too- sometimes chicken but sometimes shrimp or even shrimp AND flank steak

Check out healthy crockpot recipes too- you can find a lot of comfort foods for crockpots- stews, chili, even cinnamon applesauce.

These substitutions make my meals healthier but they also help allow room in case I want to splurge on something like wine or cheesecake!