As the weather cools down and your kids go back to school for the year, you may start to feel like you need some comfort food. Many people love to have traditional foods like lasagna, eggplant parmesan and macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately, no matter how delicious these items are, they are not usually in accordance with a healthy diet. If you are trying to eat less unhealthy fats and sugars, comfort foods may seem like things that you cannot indulge in, no matter what the season is.
However, there are some ways that you can have the best of both worlds. You can try out some healthier alternatives to your favorite Sargento Recipes comfort foods in order to get your comfort food fix while still maintaining a healthy diet. If you want to find a healthier way to have your comfort food this season, here are a few ideas for healthy cheese dishes for fall.
Zucchini Lasagna
Lasagna is one of the most popular family recipes around, but with all of the noodles combined with the greasy meat and cheese, this dish is usually not low in calories or fat. Instead of using the traditional recipe with noodles, try using zucchini in their place. Zucchini has a surprisingly similar texture to noodles when it’s cooked and it will complement the flavors in your lasagna perfectly. Make the swap from noodles to zucchini to save a lot of calories.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant is a very healthy item on its own, but traditional eggplant parmesan recipes usually are fried with a lot of butter and other fats, which turns the eggplant into a less than healthy version of itself. Of course, eggplant is quite flavorless on its own, so the fried in butter version is what most people prefer. Instead of making traditional eggplant parmesan, you can try using a similar recipe with less butter that you bake instead of frying. This makes the meal a lot healthier and will even save you from the grease stains that would have splattered your counter top and stove.
Baked Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a family favorite that kids and parents never get sick of having at the dinner table. It is a simple meal that pleases even the pickiest eaters. However, there is not a substantial amount of nutritional value in mac and cheese and, again, it is usually high in fat and calories. Especially during the school year, you want to give your kids a better option that will satisfy their cravings and give them the nutrition that they need. Try a baked mac and cheese version for a healthier take on the dish and consider hiding some veggies in the mix, like broccoli or spinach.
Healthy Cheesy Meatloaf
The meal that husbands and dads around the world request weekly is usually meatloaf. It is another simple meal that satisfies your man’s red meat cravings without you having to put a lot of effort into making a gourmet steak and potatoes meal. However, if your mister is looking to lower his cholesterol and start eating healthier, you might want to switch out his traditional meatloaf with something a little healthier. Try a lower calorie cheesy meatloaf that has all the flavor you crave without the extra calories.
Sargento covered the costs of the ingredients used in this recipe, but the opinions are my own.
