Wintertime is just around the corner, and with the holidays come cravings for home-cooked comfort food and country recipes.
While these recipes are both hearty and delicious, they are unfortunately not the best choice for those of us trying to lose weight. Thankfully, you can still enjoy delicious comfort food with the help of these healthy recipes.
Keep reading!
Healthy Country Recipes to Enjoy This Holiday Season
In this article, we will see how you can take these crowd-pleasing classics and convert them into healthy recipes. That way, anyone can enjoy them, no matter their dietary restrictions.
1. Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
If you love eating a creamy chicken pot pie but dread consuming so many calories, this is the perfect solution! Chicken pot pie soup can be made by sauteing carrots, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, and thyme in olive oil. When the veggies are soft, add milk and chicken broth along with salt and pepper.
Then, when the potatoes are soft, blend part of the mixture until creamy and then incorporate it back into the pot. Finally, stir in cooked chicken breast and frozen peas. After simmering for 10 minutes, it is ready to serve.
Looking to make this recipe for a family member or friend that’s lactose intolerant? Just swap the milk for unsweetened almond milk to make this recipe dairy-free! The best thing about these recipes is you can alter them to suit any dietary needs.
2. Vegetarian Chili
Who says vegetarians can’t enjoy a hearty bowl of chili?
Follow along with your grandmother’s favorite chili recipe, but use wheat berries instead of meat. Wheat berries are whole wheat kernels and have a chewy texture when cooked and absorb the flavor of the broth they are cooked in.
This recipe will taste delicious and give vegetarian soul food a new reputation!
3. Vegan Gumbo
Do you have a hankering for some soul food? A tasty option for vegetarians and vegans is gumbo!
That’s because gumbo already has a full serving of vegetables. The meat that normally accompanies this dish can be substituted for your favorite beans or lentils.
You can feel good knowing that beans are a great source of proteins and fiber, both of which are recommended if you are looking to lose weight.
4. Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits & Gravy
If buttermilk biscuits and gravy remind you of Sunday mornings at your mama’s house, then this recipe is sure to please you. It’s just like traditional biscuits but with a few simple substitutions.
Instead of butter, use vegan butter (you can find it in the vegan food aisle at stores) and unsweetened cashew milk in place of dairy milk.
For the gravy, you’ll also need to use vegan butter and cashew milk. However, you’ll also need vegan sausage, which is sometimes referred to as tofurky. With these simple substitutions, you can cook up delicious and healthy biscuits and gravy without the guilt that comes with the traditional recipe.
5. Healthy Pumpkin Pie
And now for everyone’s favorite part of the holidays: dessert! While most desserts can be made much healthier by making a few changes, pumpkin pie is already one of the healthiest holiday desserts due to the low amount of fat that it contains.
Make your pumpkin pie lighter by sweetening it with pure maple syrup and coconut sugar. In addition, use almond milk instead of dairy milk.
Healthy Recipes That’ll Please Everyone
With simple substitutions, comfort food neither has to be boring nor bland. Enjoy your favorite country recipes with fewer calories, all while smashing your weight loss goals!
What’s your favorite healthy soul food recipe? Let us know in the comments and then keep browsing our site for more great reads.
