This post is from contributing writer, Danielle Eaton Hart from To The Beat of My Heart.
Ever wonder where the term “comfort food” came from? Is it possible to have “healthy” comfort food? Katie has taken her favorite comfort boxed foods and made them healthy, so I know it’s possible.
But…
“…food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or homecooking.”
Comfort Food Feels Good… for Some
It can feel isolating to swim through the online world of healthy living with my baggage of “skinny problems”. While most people are counting calories to avoid excess, I find myself tracking whether I got enough calories to maintain or even gain weight (being a stay at home mom, one can burn a lot of calories just doing housework!).
I am being vulnerable here because:
2. Every time I open up about my skinny problems I find a new resource or friend who has similar struggles.
Healthy, Comfort Food
Healthy, Comfort FoodLet’s take a peek into my world to see what allergy-friendly, healthy food looks like for me and if there’s room for comfort food!
- Food that provides consolation or feelings of well-being.
- Food prepared in a traditional style.
- Food(s) having nostalgic or sentimental appeal.
- Foods typically high in sugar or other carbohydrate content.
Gluten-free is similar to but not always the same as Celiac-friendly. Because of my mild wheat allergy, I can have gluten-free baked goods that have been moved to the same plate as glutenous sweets. But those with Celiac’s Disease cannot. While it isn’t cheap and obsessively reading ingredient labels is inconvenient, it is possible to cook, bake, and shop gluten-free with relative ease.
Want something that’s also egg and dairy free? (I can have a little dairy with a Lactaid pill and limited amounts of egg white in my food, but shopping under these labels simplifies my search for allergy-friendly food.)
Some gluten-free foods have egg washes on them like bagels or pretzels. I can find and/or make vegan food, but then I have to work to avoid that pesky gluten protein! A few allergy-friendly brands aren’t worth buying because of my strict budget and taste preferences. And don’t even get me started about the side effects of having excess soy due to dairy and peanut substitutes!
So now what?
Obviously, I cannot eat most foods prepared “in a traditional style”. If I ever have “foods typically high in sugar or other carbohydrate content” it’s because I’ve worked my butt off trying to find an allergy-friendly way to do so. If that way is found…it’s a major willpower battle not to overindulge.
I have tried recreating favorite foods from my childhood with allergy-friendly ingredients. But due to the science of cooking, some such food memories remain elusive. Above I pictured a cake that my sweet friends found at an allergy-friendly bakery and bought for me (sometimes buying allergy-friendly comfort food can be a nice treat)!
Let’s take a closer look at that remaining definition: Comfort food is simply “food that provides consolation or feelings of well being.” For me, throughout anorexia, pregnancy, and other life challenges, a constant food love has been potatoes. Especially sweet potatoes. I think I cried the first time I had sweet potato fries.
Sweet Treats for Body and Soul
No-Bake Gluten-Free Energy Balls
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Make these delicious gluten-free energy balls in one bowl!
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats (gluten-free or not)
- 2/3 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup or less chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a medium to large mixing bowl.
- Form into balls then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks (I myself am lazy and just snack on it by the spoonful).
Trouble Getting Healthy Food on the Table Every Day?
Enter Real Plans
Real Plans is an online meal planning software & app that is probably smarter than I am.
It works with all food restrictions to help families find the perfect meal, generate a shopping list, scale it up if needed, and you’re totally in control. Use your own fav recipes, skip a suggestion and tell Real Plans all the foods you don’t like/can’t eat, and it will still do half the work of meal planning (or more) for you.
Real Plans takes the stress out of meal planning and puts the nourishing food BACK on your table. There’s a plan for every diet type, including GAPS, Paleo, AIP, Whole30, vegetarian and more!
Katie Kimball, CSME is a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks. She is passionate about researching natural remedies and making healthy cooking easier for busy families. She’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine as well as contributing regularly on the FOX Network.
A mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is a Certified Stress Mastery Educator and member of the American Institute of Stress.