As far as the importance of comfort foods in people’s life is concerned, first of all it is better to understand what comfort foods are all about. Comfort foods are those foods that can be easily eaten and by the help of these foods negative feelings can be removed to a certain extent. This is the way through which people can control their stress level as they can attain positive vibes in their minds. These types of foods actually help people in gaining instant energy and relief as well. In reality, comfort foods are helpful in activating healthy behavior and positive feelings in people. These all foods can be effectively prepared and people could really enjoy the cooking experience to a great extent.
Therefore, these foods are usually consumed when people are depressed and feeling low. People also like to eat comfort foods when they are hungry and looking for food that can be eaten immediately. As a result these foods are assumed as instant energy providers and people could attain sentimental or nostalgic feeling after eating comfort food.
Categories of Comfort Foods
There are different kinds of categories in which comfort foods can be easily distributed; these categories are mentioned as follows:
- Nostalgic foods
- Indulgence foods
- Convenience foods
- Physical comfort foods
- Mood modifying foods
- Guilt or Break out foods
Considering the above attributes, there are 12 tempting foods discussed in order to provide the importance to comfort food lovers. These 12 foods are as follows:
1. Skinny Texas Cheese Fries
This is one of the most amazing and mouth watering food for those people who want to enjoy food along with low calories. This food is specifically prepared or cooked for the purpose of providing positive feelings and energy to people. The chili’s Texas cheese fries can be effectively consumed if motivation or energy is highly desirable. The other benefit of this food is very significant that could be quite appealing to the people and this is low level of guilt.
Ingredients
In order to prepare skinny Texas cheese fries, people are required to have yokon gold potatoes along with paprika, chili powder and olive oil as well. The people are also needed to use onion powder with garlic powder so that the fries give mouth watering taste to cheese lovers. There are other things required that could be considered in the form of chopped and cooked veggie bacon. Shredded cheddar cheese is also desirable along with diced scallions and sliced pickled jalapeno pepper as well.
Calories
259 calories
Cooking processes
The cooking process is quite simple yet attractive for those people who love to enjoy this food. First of all, try to cut potatoes lengthwise into ¼ inch fries. Now combine cut potatoes and oil in a large bowl, and then add seasoning (paprika to salt and pepper). Place potatoes in a single layer on a largely baking sheet. Now bake uncovered for 25 minutes turning once half way through and then remove from oven place fries into two small oven safe dishes. Now do the topping with cheddar cheese along with sliced jalapenos and scallions as well. Now use oven for two more minutes and then serve it with low fat buttermilk ranch dressing.
Tastes and Textures
This food is also considered as the pure comfort food and its taste is as good for people as they will love to eat it again and again. The appearance of this dish is also eye catching that attracts people ‘s attention to a large extent.
2. Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese
This is also considered as the perfect food for cheese lovers, this is because of the reason that this is regarded as most scrumptious cheesy meatless dish.
Ingredients
For the sake of preparing and cooking delicious baked spaghetti squash and cheese, you should focus on using different stuff such as cooked spaghetti squash. The other ingredients that could be used are olive oil, minced onion along with flour. Skimmed milk, fat free chicken broth, sargento, reduced fat mild cheddar, salt and pepper are also needed. The baby spinach along with grated parmesan is desirable that could make this dish tasty or delicious.
Calories
165 calories
Cooking Process
The cooking starts by the help of cutting the squash in half lengthwise, and at the same time remove and eradicate seeds as well. Now it is better to place squash on a baking sheet and bake for one hour and place squash on medium bowl. At this point of time, please maintain the temperature of oven and heat butter and oil in large saucepan with medium heat. Now please add onions and stir in flour, now cook on low heat and stirring regularly.
Now add milk and chicken broth and increase the level of heat and make it more thick and smooth. It is good time to add salt and pepper, remove heat now include cheddar cheese and mix well. The salt and pepper should be used according to the preferences and now incorporate cooked spaghetti squash and baby spinach. Now this is the time to pour on baking dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and then bake for around 30 minutes.
Tastes and Textures
The taste of this food sounds something cheesy for those people who do not like meat so much.
3. Cauliflower Chowder
This is a kind of soup that really comes up to the expectations of soup lovers, at the same time the demand of this food generally in chilled weathers.
Ingredients
The ingredients that are required to make cauliflower chowder could be considered in the form of bacon along with unsalted butter, garlic minced. The other stuff is also significant and this include onion, carrots, celery, all purpose flour along with chicken broth, milk, cauliflower, bay leaf, kosher salt, black pepper, and parsley leaves as well.
Calories
272 calories
Cooking Process
The process starts when bacon is added with a large skillet till the color gets brown and crispy; this process should be done for 6 to 8 minutes. Now melt butter in a large pot on medium heat and then garlic, onion and carrots along with celery should be added. Now stir in cauliflower and bay leaf and stir occasionally. Now, whisk in flour till it became lightly browned for 1 minute and then gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk and at this time cook. After doing this bring to a boil by lowering the heat and then use salt and pepper accordingly. It is also desirable that this soup should be garnished with bacon and parsley.
Tastes and Textures
This is also assumed as a creamy, low crab, and snug soup that can provide unique taste and textures to the soup lovers.
4. Skinny Buffalo chicken Chili
This food is special treat for those individuals who want to dip buffalo chicken wings in a chilled blue cheese sauce. In this manner this amazing food is consumed.
Ingredients
As far as the importance of ingredients is concerned, the ingredients are ground chicken breast, white onion, celery, carrots, cauliflower florets and garlic cloves. There are some other things required and these are sodium free chicken broth, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans and hot sauce as well. The ground cumin, chili powder, Paprika, ground oregano, cayenne along with salt and pepper are also needed.
Calories
203.5 calories
Cooking Process
First of all please try to brown the chicken through the help of large pan on medium heat. At this time toss the chicken and include all ingredients into it in a crock pot. Now provide good stir to everything and then secure the lid as well. Now cook for almost 6 to 8 minutes on low and 6 to 8 minutes on high heat. After doing this remove the lid and put it in bowls equally. The topping can be applied according to people’s choice.
Tastes and Textures
This food gives amazing taste of buffalo chicken having a unique flavor of chili as well. In this manner this dish delights people and at the same time stressed is reduced as well.
5. Cauliflower Crust Grilled Cheese
It is expected that this dish will certainly come up to the expectations of cheese lovers as this dish is an awesome cocktail or combination of bread, butter and cheese.
Ingredients
First of all in order to make cauliflower crust grilled cheese, cauliflower bread slices along with cheese sandwiches are needed. Apart from this, organic egg, mozzarella cheese, green sea salt and black pepper are also required. The butter and cheddar cheese will also be needed at the time of preparing this food.
Calories
347 calories
Cooking Process
This comfort food can be prepared through the help of using baking sheet having parchment paper that should be greased with olive oil. Now, cook cauliflower rice and then place in tea towel so that it could become dry that is necessary. Add egg, mozzarella, salt, and pepper in cauliflower rice and then apply cauliflower mixture in baking sheet and make 4 squares. Put butter on one side of slices of cauliflower crust bread and then place one slice of bread in pan. Sprinkle with cheese and then cook for almost 4 minutes and then flip carefully and cook for 4 minutes.
Tastes and Textures
This amazing comfort food provides a different taste of bread, butter and cheese as all these three things are combined in the desired manner. This is the way through which the texture of this food becomes attractive and appealing to most of the people.
6. Oven Baked Mushroom Risotto
This is one of the most desirable foods that can be considered as ideal for vegetarian people. This food can be prepared quite easily and does not require much time.
Ingredients
The stuff, which is required for the preparation of this dish, includes dried porcini mushrooms along with boiled water as well. The other things are olive oil, chopped onion and at the same time garlic cloves and kosher salt are also needed. The chopped baby bellas, Arborio rice, white wine, chicken broth, sprig rosemary, fat Greek yogurt and grated parmesan cheese too.
Calories
191 Calories
Cooking Process
Put mushrooms in the bowl along with boiling water and then put mushrooms carefully in cutting board and then chop mushrooms. Now, add onion, garlic and salt and cook it in order to make onion tender. Include baby mushroom, add salt and cook and then stir rice and start cooking. After doing this, add wine and simmer till wine is disappeared and then include chicken broth along with sprig rosemary, mushrooms and mushroom broth as well. Now bake and after baking remove sprig rosemary and stir in Greek yogurt with cheese and then bake uncovered so that this becomes ready.
Taste and Textures
It’s creamy and moth watering taste is appealing who are vegetarian and love eating vegetarian food. The texture or appearance is also attractive for people as they cannot resist themselves from eating.
7. Skinny Broccoli Cheese Soup
This is a delicious taste for all soup lovers if they want to feel the taste of broccoli cheese in a soup.
Ingredients
The ingredients make this soup tasty and healthier therefore these things should be carefully used. These are unsalted vegetable stock, broccoli florets, yellow onion, carrots, salt and black pepper along with garlic gloves. The cheddar cheese and parsley leaves along with half and half are also required to make this soup.
Cooking Process
The saucepan should be used in which the vegetable stocks with yellow onion, broccoli florets, garlic gloves, carrots, salt and black pepper should be combined and then boil it. After this the broccoli should be tender and then blend the soup and make it creamy. Then stir the half and half along with cheese and after this top accurately with parsley and soup is ready.
Calories
110 calories
Taste and Textures
The taste of this food feels like cheesy, viscous and at the same time is best suitable for light dinner. This food is also nutritious as it gives nutrition to the people.
8. Squash, Sweet potato, carrot and white bean soup
All amazing nutrients such as carrot, potato and white beans all in one comfort food is hard to believe. But, this is a pleasing reality that should be taken into consideration.
Ingredients
The ingredients are important part for any comfort food and these are olive oil, onion, vegetable broth, and butternut. The sweet potatoes along with carrots, salt and cannellini beans are also necessary for this dish.
Calories
272 calories
Cooking Process
First of all stuff should be carefully combined in a cooker and lid should be secured, this should be done in low heat. At this time, it is preferable to use immersion blender so that this food becomes ready to eat
Tastes and Textures
This food is really delicious and at the same time it is healthier as it provides fibers, proteins to people. The appearance of this food is also attractive and smoother for many people as well.
9. Slow Cooker Vegan chickpea curry
This dish should be prepared for all health concerned or conscious people as it provides the desired results to these people to a large extent. This dish can be prepared with so much ease and is suitable for lunch time.
Ingredients
The ingredients include olive oil, yellow onion, garlic clove, minced ginger, can chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, small cauliflower florets and coconut milk as well. The other things are also crucial for this food and these are sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, hot spice, curry powder, salt, and chopped baby spinach too. The uncooked rice along with water and salt are also needed in order to make coconut rice.
Cooking Process
Put oil in pan in low heat and add onion, garlic and ginger so that onion mix becomes ready and it should be transferred to cooker and include all other stuff but spinach should not be added at this time. Cook it and then stir in spinach for 5 more minutes and then this food is served finally. For the sake of making coconut rice, include rice, milk along with salt, water should be added in a saucepan. Now boil it and then cover and simmer in low heat and curry should be allowed before serving.
Calories
400 calories
Taste and Textures
As far as the taste of this amazing dish is concerned, it is regarded as warm, savory and decadent. The looks or presentation is also attractive and eye catching for health lover people.
10. Loaded Turkey Chili Baked Potato
This awesome food can be consumed for the purpose of dinners to a certain extent. In this food turkey chili and potatoes have been combined effectively to produce attractive comfort food.
Ingredients
First of all potatoes are required along with turkey chili, shredded cheddar, chopped chives or scallions, and Greek yogurt or fat source as well.
Calories
280 Calories
Cooking Process
At the start of cooking holes should be made in the potatoes and then use microwave for the purpose of making potatoes soft. After doing this, make half length size of potatoes and then apply fork in order to make oval shape at the top. Now, remove the top of each potato and make topping with cheddar cheese with turkey chili and chives so that the dish could be served to guests.
Tastes and Textures
The taste is so much pleasing and appearance at times becomes mouth watering as well.
11. Skinny mashed potatoes
This is another comfort food that can be consumed by all health conscious people and this food can be prepared with so much convince and in this way cooking experience becomes enjoyable.
Ingredients
The ingredients are red potatoes, reduced fat butter, and milk with minimal fat, fresh and chopped chives, salt and pepper as desirable.
Calories
123 calories
Cooking Process
Put potatoes in saucepan with cold water and then start boiling in low heat, after this put drained potatoes in the saucepan. Include reduced fat milk, chives, salt and pepper in warm potatoes so that potatoes could be smashed by the help of fork. Now use and cut by means of using knife for the purpose of blending all stuff and at the same time this process should be done in low heat. After that smashed potatoes is ready and could be served appropriately.
Taste and Textures
The creamy rich taste makes this food scrumptious and loveable for different people. The appearance is such a delight and treats to watch for all potatoes lovers.
12. Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole
This attractive and mouth watering food is very much in demand by all chicken parmesan lovers. By means of consuming this food people can satisfy their hunger and eating desires as well. This dish has been perfectly developed for the dinner purpose.
Ingredients
The ingredient could be considered in the form of cooked boneless chicken breasts, Jar Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauce with no salt at all. Apart from this other ingredients are Italian cheese (shredded), wheat bread crumbs, along with panko, fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper as well.
Calories
326 calories
Cooking Process
First of all, the casserole dish should be lightly coated and after this layer the chicken in the end of dish. At this time, chicken should be topped by the help of pasta sauce and then chicken should be mixed along with cheese and sauce mixture. Now, please add bread crumbs, panko, basil leaves, salt, and pepper. After doing this cheese should be topped with bread crumbs and then dish should be baked as well. The top now should become brown after baking and this food is ready to serve at this time, so enjoy.
Tastes and Textures
The taste and appearance of this dish is highly attractive and appealing to the eyes of hungry people. The enhanced cheesy taste makes this dish highly eatable and popular among people of different ages.
Conclusion
All these amazing and mind blowing comfort foods are highly desirable and appropriate for different health conscious people. By the help of these foods, people could feel positive vibes in their minds and bodies and as a result their stress level could be reduced to certain level. These foods also make cooking as enjoyable and interesting phenomenon for both male and female.
Featured photo credit: 12 Tempting Comfort Foods With Low Calories via stokpic.com
