SOS.... rainy holiday weekend suggestions

janejellyroll wrote: »

When you're looking for "healthier" versions of comfort food, there seem to be two approaches. You can go for nutrient-denser, but still relatively high calorie, options and hope you just manage to control your portions. Or you can go for larger portions of low calorie items. It really depends on personal preference. I've found that I'd personally rather have an excellent brownie or bowl of mac and cheese or whatever and control my portion than a "hacked" healthy version that doesn't really scratch my itch. It's really easy to make a giant tray of something like black bean brownies and wind up eating more calories than you would of if you'd just made regular "bad" brownies.

There's a fantasy that I had for years that I'd find the recipe that let me eat giant plates of nachos or a huge bowl of stir-fried noodles without it having any calorie impact. The reality is that for many calorie-dense foods, there is no trick that will allow you to eat huge portions that fit within reasonable calorie goals. There's no trick that is going to make your brain think that you sat on the couch all day watching movies and eating pizza that doesn't involve sitting on the couch all day and eating pizza. At some point, you'll have to tackle what it is that you WANT and whether it fits with the type of life that you want to have.

I had to tackle the source of the issue, which was slipping into that level of boredom where I wanted to sit on the couch eating nachos. Don't get me wrong: I'll still eat nachos. But I'll have a portion that fits into my goals and then get on with the rest of the stuff that I want to do that day.

It wasn't an overnight process for me. There were times when I still had to battle that urge to spend an afternoon eating an entire family size bag of Chex Mix and feeling like there HAD to be a way to get that same feeling . . . the issue wasn't that I hadn't found the right substitute for Chex Mix, the issue is that I couldn't be the size I wanted and be someone who regularly did that.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I'll just go for the original question, though not to disagree with others. I can't give you exact recipes: That's not how I cook, so it's general guidelines.

I like mac'n'cheese made with a higher-protein pasta (I like the texture of Barilla red lentil pasta, comes in various shapes). To that, I add some chevre for creaminess, maybe some nonfat Greek yogurt, and usually a moderate amount of something with a stronger flavor, such as real grated parmesan. Adding veggies is an option, if you aren't a purist. Some onions, slow caramelized on the stovetop in a cast iron pan with a small amount of oil, add some nice flavor; throw in some minced garlic cloves close to the end if you like (they brown super quickly, too quickly really).

I like a heaped up open-face "pizza sandwich", made with an Ezekiel tortilla as the base. Top that with a light layer of real parmesan and quick-melt that (microwave works) to seal it so it doesn't sog up. Top with thick tomato paste, minced garlic, herbs (like basil, oregano, a little pulverized fennel seed), then layer on lots of fresh mushrooms, sweet peppers, thin-sliced onions, generally any veggies you like. Up top, a little something melty, like fresh mozz, or a little more parm, or somesuch. Feta's good, too. Bake it until done/browned/melty.

For Asian-style, I might just do a giant veggie stir fry. (I'm vegetarian, but if you're not, some calorie efficent meat or seafood in there is fine, too.) I'd either do a miso-based sauce, or do a combo of chile paste, peanut butter (or almond butter) powder, and add rice wine vinegar to sensible consistency. The skinny edamame fettucine or black bean spaghetti is a chewy pasta that's good in this for more protein and bulk. Cook the pasta and have it ready before quick stir-frying the veggies, then mix the whole thing together.

For nachos, I've found I'm good for routine eating with a modest portion, i.e., one serving of the chips in a single layer. I like Beanitos brand chips, especially the black bean ones. I top with no-fat refried beans, thin-sliced or chopped onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, etc. If I have the calories, a little sweet corn is good, too. For this purpose, a reduced fat "Mexican" shredded cheese mix works OK for me on top. Oven bake until melty, serve with salsa, avocado or guac if I have the calories, and a blop of nonfat plain Greek yogurt. It could go on top of a bed of shredded lettuce salad, if you like. (I keep individual guac servings in my freezer to use for this and similar things. A short pass through the microwave to thaw, then use.)

I can't say whether these seem adequate or comfort-food-y enough for you. I still go for full-bore versions of all of the above on indulge-y occasions, but find the above variations enjoyable and calorie-manageable as more routine meals. YMMV.