Top 8 heart-healthy swaps for comfort food?. you want to know about then read this article.
Comfort food is a type of food that is usually enjoyed for its familiar flavors and associations with home, happy memories and a sense of emotional well-being.
Comfort food is usually high in calories, fat and sugar, which can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease. Fortunately, there are a variety of heart-healthy swaps for comfort food that can still satisfy your craving without compromising your health.
1. Swap Fried Foods for Baked Foods:
One of the easiest swaps you can make to reduce fat and calories in your comfort food is to replace fried foods with baked foods.
Fried chicken can be replaced with oven-baked chicken and French fries can be replaced with oven-baked sweet potato fries.
2. Swap High-Fat Dairy for Low-Fat Dairy:
Another easy swap you can make to reduce fat and calories in your comfort food is to replace high-fat dairy products with low-fat dairy products.
For instance, whole milk can be replaced with skim milk, heavy cream can be replaced with evaporated skim milk, and sour cream can be replaced with plain Greek yogurt.
3. Swap Fats for Healthy Fats:
Some comfort foods contain unhealthy fats, such as trans fats, which can increase your risk of heart disease. To reduce your risk of heart disease, you can replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola oil.
You can also use avocado, nuts and seeds as a topping for your comfort foods.
4. Swap Refined Grains for Whole Grains:
Refined grains are usually found in comfort foods, such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta.
These refined grains lack some of the essential nutrients that are found in whole grains, such as fiber, vitamins and minerals. replace refined grains with whole grains.it will be more healthy and beneficial for you.
Note: this article is not written by health expert. all the information we gathered for this article is completely internet research. Don't be considered a doctor advice.
5. Swap Red Meat for Lean Proteins:
Red meat is often found in comfort foods, but it can be high in saturated fat, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
To reduce your risk of heart disease, replace red meat with lean proteins, such as chicken, turkey, fish, beans and lentils.
6. Swap Salt for Spices:
Salt is often added to comfort foods to enhance the flavor, but it can be high in sodium, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
To reduce your risk of heart disease, replace salt with spices, such as garlic, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano and basil.
7. Swap Soda for Herbal Tea:
Soda is often used as a mixer for comfort foods, but it can be high in sugar and calories. To reduce your risk of heart disease, replace soda with herbal tea, which is calorie-free and low in sugar.
8. Swap Alcohol for Red Wine:
Alcohol is often consumed with comfort foods, but it can be high in calories and can increase your risk of heart disease.
To reduce your risk of heart disease, replace alcohol with red wine, which is low in calories and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
Conclusion
Making simple swaps in your comfort food can help you reduce your risk of heart disease without sacrificing flavor.
Swapping fried foods for baked foods, high-fat dairy for low-fat dairy, unhealthy fats for healthy fats, refined grains for whole grains, red meat for lean proteins, sugar for natural sweeteners, processed foods for fresh foods, salt for spices, soda for herbal tea, and alcohol for red wine can all help you reduce your risk of heart disease and still enjoy the comforting flavors of your favorite comfort food.