March is known as “National Nutrition Month,” and its main focus is to inform people about their food choices and eating habits.
This is an annual campaign and is sponsored every year by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year, the theme is “Discover the Power of Nutrition.”
Everybody knows that nutrition is important and can be found in a variety of foods. However, when it comes to comfort foods, nobody seems to pay attention to what is good for them.
Comfort foods provide security, nostalgia and emotional comfort for most. Consuming comfort food can often reduce stress as well as brighten one’s mood.
Some popular comfort foods are macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza. These are all common childhood foods, and for the most part, they’re simple to make.
But just because these foods are comforting doesn’t mean they’re the healthiest. They’re often high in calories, saturated fats and sodium and rely on a lot of processed ingredients like flour and large amounts of butter and cheese.
Comfort foods are fine for helping you feel good in the moment, but that usually doesn’t last long. “Junk food” can often produce a sluggish response in your body, which leads to regretting your decision about eating that favorite food.
Nobody should feel guilty about eating the food that they most enjoy. Instead of removing it completely from your diet, here are some healthier alternatives that you can try instead. 
Just to be clear, I am not a professional chef, nutritionist or food expert. The suggestions shared in this story are based solely on my personal experience with the foods I’ve tried and enjoyed. Please keep in mind your own judgement when preparing anything that is mentioned, especially if you have any kind of food restrictions.
Macaroni and cheese – Chickpea pasta
Macaroni and cheese is most popular for its cheesy goodness, but because of its reliance on processed cheese, it isn’t the most healthy. A good alternative for this comfort food is a chickpea macaroni and cheese.
Instead of a pasta made with all-purpose flour, this is made with chickpea flour. It still gives you that creamy taste, without the extra calories. It’s also a lot higher in protein and can often be made vegan. You don’t have to start this pasta from scratch either, it is sold in any local grocery store.
Pair this pasta with some cottage cheese. This cheese keeps the creamy texture and has less fat than regular cheddar cheese. This dish is often recommended to eat with some vegetables in the mix, such as broccoli or peas.
When going to make some comfort macaroni and cheese, grab some chickpea pasta and cottage cheese for a healthier alternative.
Mashed potatoes – Mashed cauliflower
Mashed cauliflower contains about half the calories that you would get from eating mashed potatoes, while still offering that creamy texture.
It is very similar to mashed potatoes, while getting rid of that starch flavor you usually get from the potatoes.
Some of the benefits that come from eating mashed cauliflower are that it offers vitamins C and K. To give this meal the same comfort as mashed potatoes would, it can be made with butter, garlic or cream.
Grilled cheese
There are many ways to go about making a healthier grilled cheese sandwich without altering it so much.
For example, you can change the kind of bread that you use. Instead of using white bread, wheat bread is a good substitute. It’s higher in fiber and has less carbs.
Picking a different kind of cheese is another good way of making your dish better for you. Using reduced-fat cheddar or part-skim mozzarella are good options. These kinds of cheeses tend to have less calories while keeping that savory taste. You’d also be able to just use a small amount of sharp cheddar since it’s strong, you won’t need much.
When grilling your bread, instead of using butter, you could grill it with olive or avocado oil.
Consider healthy add-ons for your grilled cheese as well. Add some tomato slices, spinach, mushrooms, roasted broccoli or kale.
Adding protein to your grilled cheese can be beneficial too. Don’t be afraid to add some chicken or turkey.
Pizza
Similar to grilled cheese, there are many ways to go about making a healthier pizza.
To start off, instead of using the high-gluten yeast bread pizzas that usually have, you can substitute it with a cauliflower crust, which is a good low calorie option.
There isn’t much of a drastic change when it comes to making a healthier pizza, it just comes down to the kind of toppings you add. You’re able to add lower-fat cheeses like cottage cheese, ricotta, feta or swiss. As far as toppings go, there are many healthy options like spinach, mushrooms and peppers.
Instead of adding pepperoni or sausage on your pizza, you can use more lean protein meats like grilled chicken or ham.
