Uncomfortable Comfort Foods?
What happens when comfort food makes us uncomfortable? Winter months are known for holidays, rich foods and sedentary lifestyles. During some holidays, people eat to such extreme that they make themselves uncomfortable through their excess. On my healthy lifestyle journey, I find this time of year to be the most difficult to navigate. I love the stews, the large meals and the gathering of family and friends in celebration – times which are often marked with food.
So, what are some strategies that I can use in order to survive this period of time?
First, I’m changing the dynamic of the food that I’m eating! Instead of using the rich meats to season the stews and soups, I’m going to make vegetarian or vegan soup offerings. Check out my Squash and Roasted Apple Soup, for example. I’m building rich flavors by using seasoning and other techniques in order to make the food taste better. One of my favorite creations is my Vegan Split Pea Soup recipe. I use shredded green apple to sweeten the soup and add an unexpected flavor profile!
Fall salads can be exciting too when you plan to add different items and create a healthy and fun “upscale salad” (think dried cherries and pumpkin seeds), or you can make a “show stopping” roasted root vegetable dish presented in a emptied out pumpkin! Changing your dynamics during these cold winter months will lead to better and healthier results!
One of the rules about Skinnythick is that the meals must fall within a certain dollar range. Soups and stews are not only filling, but fall within that price point that we are trying to keep! The purpose of this project is to show that we don’t need to have a million-dollar bank account to get healthy. We can do it on a budget with good food to enjoy!
