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We’ve all got a selection of comfort dishes that just appeal to us no matter what. When you need something to give your tummy a smile, you opt for one of your comfort meals. They’re usually a bit naughty, but that’s kind of the point! 

Still, wouldn’t it be better if you could eat comfort food more often? Especially during the colder months when you often want these hearty welcoming dishes over some of the healthier options out there! Well, here are a few “unhealthy” comfort dishes that you can take and turn into much healthier alternatives: 

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Lasagna

Who doesn’t love a big slice of lasagna? This Italian favorite is so comforting and delicious, but it’s not exactly the healthiest dish in the world. There’s a lot of pasta involved, loads of fillings, and a few different sauces - it’s pretty jampacked! 

Thankfully, this is an easy dish to make healthier. You can pick on a few different elements of the lasagna to make it lower in calories yet just as delicious. One idea is to swap some pasta sheets for zucchini instead. You peel the zucchini into thin ribbons and layer them up as you would the pasta sheets, instantly lowering the calories and adding more veg to the meal. 

Secondly, you can avoid the white sauce. Yes, this might be your favorite part, but I promise you won’t notice it when it’s gone, provided there’s enough high-quality stuff inside the lasagna. Speaking of which, ensure the meat you use - typically ground beef mince - is low in fat. Make these changes and you’ll still have a stunning comfort dish but without the added calories. 

Corned beef

A lot of people have the guilty pleasure of enjoying corned beef now and then. It’s comfort food that you can usually get from most grocery stores, but it’s far from healthy. Corned beef sandwiches are always a treat when you feel like having an extra special lunch. Or, you could warm up the slices and have them with some extra trimmings for dinner. 

Regardless, corned beef itself is usually pretty unhealthy as it’s packed full of preservatives and other things. But, you can easily change this by making the beef yourself! All you need is a corned beef recipe and you are good to go. As you are in charge of what happens to the beef, you can guarantee it’s way better for you to eat. Just like that, you can enjoy this guilty pleasure without any guilt!

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Bolognese

Another pasta-based dish that’s absolutely divine but can be a bit unhealthy. For starters, you need to make the bolognese sauce yourself. Don’t get one out of a jar as it will always be way unhealthier than making your own. 

Secondly, think about swapping the minced beef for lentils. They’re lower in calories and arguably more nutritionally healthy anyway. Finally, you could even consider swapping the spaghetti for something a bit lighter. You don’t have to do this as the other two changes already make a big difference. But, if you wanted to use a spiralizer to make zucchini spaghetti, you could!

Burgers

Sometimes, you can’t say no to a delicious burger. They’re probably the most comforting of all comfort foods, filling you with joy from bite one to the very end. Unfortunately, we’re all aware that you can’t eat too many burgers all the time. They’re not great for you, but you can make them way healthier. 

Yep, you can start the process once more by cooking things from scratch. That’s the key point to take from this post; everything is healthier if you make it yourself. Shop-bought burgers or premade sauces need to have things shoved in them to make them last longer. Usually, they have outrageously high salt and fat levels. If you make the items at home, you have control over what goes into them.

For burgers, you can choose leaner cuts of meat. Or, switch to meat-free alternatives, like a quinoa burger or a portobello mushroom. Then, go easy on the burger sauce so you don’t slather too much on. Avoid packing the burger with too many toppings as well, and think about a healthier alternative to chips. A burger with a baked potato is just as nice, yet way healthier.