LET'S TALK COMFORT FOOD

The cold weather is setting in & your thoughts turn away from the yummy salads you finally got used to eating & you find yourself thinking about some of those delish tummy warming meals that you ate last winter... you know the ones... the carb heavy, cheesy, fat laden deliciousness that helped you to put on those extra kilos in the first place?

I can hear you say 'I know they aren't going to support my goals - BUT I WANT THEM!!!'.  Or perhaps that was me talking out loud?  Anywho, the good news is that comfort food doesn't have to be a calorie fest!  There are a few things you can do to make these meals better for you:

Make a few 'swaps':
Swap ingredients within recipes where appropriate to help keep the calories & macros within your chosen healthy range.
Let's use a Home Made Pie as an example.  You could use extra lean mince in a shepherds or cottage pie & top the pie with cauliflower mash in place of potato (don't knock it until you try it). You could also cut down on the amount of cheese that the recipe requires. This will help to reduce the calorie & fat content of the pie.

Put your new found portion control skills to good use:
You could portion the pie mix & make the pies in small ramekin dishes.  This way you can enjoy your yummy pie without piling too much of it onto your plate.  You could perhaps serve the pie with a side of steamed veggies to help fill you up, so you aren't tempted to go back for a 2nd pie.

Search online for 'Healthy Comfort Food Recipes':
They are many sites that list recipes for 'Healthy Comfort Food', so get online & see what you can find. If you find meals that sound too good to be true, and you aren't sure whether they fit in with your Healthy Eating Plan, check with your Trainer (if they are qualified to discuss meal plans) or perhaps your friendly YGT Fitness Weight Loss Practitioner (yeah, that's me).

You can definitely eat tummy warming comfort foods this winter & still stay on track with your weight management goals.  It all comes down to educating yourself & some simple planning.
Winter is coming - enjoy it!