When stress and anxiety get you down, comfort foods can be a wonderful way to soothe your soul. If you're unfamiliar with what exactly "comfort foods" are, they have a couple of different interpretations.

Comfort foods are foods that relax the psyche by reminding us of comforting childhood memories.

They're also foods that warm the heart, make you feel cozy, safe and satisfied.

Comfort foods hit the spot when your craving that one specific taste.

There's no exact category that a comfort food has to fit into. It should simply calm your mind, satisfy your hunger and provide an escape to whatever is stressing you out at the time.

So, why do people have comfort foods?

Well, with all the affects mentioned above, it's pretty easy to see. Comfort foods relax the body and decrease overall stress.

All this sounds pretty good, huh?

Well, there is one general problem with most comfort foods. Because they are so rich and hearty, they tend to be pretty unhealthy.

You can't eat them too often or else your weight will go up along with your mood. Suddenly, relying on comfort foods to ease your depression feels like binge eating...

...not so good.

Have no fear!

As a solution to this little dilemma, I'm presenting you the best low fat comfort foods.

Well, maybe that's not the best description. See, below I've listed the top ten comfort foods with a little twist.

These top ten comfort foods are comprised of the most popular comfort foods but with low fat alternatives as their ingredients. Alongside some of the more elaborate comfort foods, I've placed healthy recipes so you can make them on your own.

It's a way to spoil yourself with your favorite comfort foods without feeling guilty over the indulgence.

See? You can have your cake and eat it too!

1. Dark Chocolate
   Dark Chocolate is one of my favorite comfort foods around.

   Although, milk chocolate in general is more widely known as a comfort food, substituting with dark chocolate has loads of benefits.

   These benefits come from the fact that dark chocolate is made with plants that have flavonoids. Flavonoids are your friend! They provide the benefits listed below:

   The benefits of dark chocolate:

   • Contains antioxidents which prevent the body from aging
   • Antioxidents prevent free radicals like cancer cells
   • Relaxes blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide
   • Small amounts everyday actually lower cholesteral!
   
   
   

2. Apple Pie
   Nothing puts me in a better mood than a nice warm slice of apple pie. Add a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and I'm in absolute heaven.

   Unfortunately, that combo is loaded with calories. So, how can you cut back on the calorie count without taking away from this treat?

   Here's a lowfat apple pie recipe you can make right now without the unhealthy side effects. CLICK HERE to see it now.

   
   
   

3. Chicken Soup
   Is there anything more soothing than chicken soup on a cold fall or winter day? Chicken Soup warms you from the inside out, putting you completely at ease.

   Although soup isn't terribly unhealthy, there can be high levels of sodium, depending on what brand of soup you buy.

   Progresso makes a line of light soups appropriately named "Progresso Light". They contain about half the sodium and they even have a vegitarian alternative for chicken soup lovers.

   The flavor still has that wholesome chicken soup broth taste but with less calories. It's a great way to get your chicken soup fix without worry about the unhealthy side effects of high sodium content. Enjoy!

   
   
   

4. Grilled Cheese
   There's nothing better than a gooey, warm grilled cheese sandwhich right off the frying pan.

   Try these healthy substitutes to take down the calorie count on this crispy, comfort food staple.

   
   
   
   
   

   Healthy Grilled Cheese Swaps: Start with your bread choice. Any light whole wheat or whole grain bread will do. For the cheese, choose any part skim cheese. I prefer american cheese, but swiss and cheddar work just as well. FYI - part skim cheeses will melt better than fat free cheeses. In your frying pan you can use either fat free cooking spray like "Pam" or a light, heart healthy butter like "Smart Balance" If you want to spice it up, you can add tomato slices or lean turkey bacon -- oh yeah.

   
   
   

5. Fried Chicken
   When I get a craving for some delicious, crispy fried chicken, nothing can stand in my way. However, running out to KFC isn't exactly the smartest move when it comes to eating right.

   Instead, I make this amazing baked chicken recipe below. It's lowfat and gives me the same, crispy chicken satisfaction I get with the other stuff. You can buy either chicken breast on the bone or drumsticks from your local grocery.

   Here's your lowfat comfort food alternative...

   Baked Chicken Recipe (for 2 people) Take out enough chicken for two people Remove the Skin Use one pouch of "Shake and Bake" original recipe. Wet the chicken with water. Drop it in the "Shake and Bake" bag with the seasoning. Shake it up until the chicken is evenly coated. Spray a flat cooking sheet with fat free cooking spray. Place the chicken on a flat cooking. Bake at 425° for 50 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with baked potato and a green vegetable.

   This healthy substitute will give you the same comfort of Fried Chicken without the flabby side effects. I love it.

   
   
   

6. Chocolate Chip Cookies
   Although there's no way to turn chocolate chip cookies into a healthy snack, you can make some adjustments to the ingredients in order to make this comfort treat more beneficial.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Make these adjustments with your favorite store bought cookie mix. Healthier Substitutes: Use dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate. Substitute sugar with a sugar substitute like "Splenda". Use an egg subsitute like "Egg Beaters". If you're making cookies from scatch, you can use a whole wheat flour instead of white flour.

   
   
   

7. Peanut Butter and Jelly
   Whenever I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich it never fails to bring me back to childhood when life was so much simpler.

   If you haven't had a PB and J sandwhich in a while, this simple pleasure will really surprise you with its effectiveness for easing stress.

   As a lowfat comfort food alternative, try using toasted whole grain bread instead of plain old white bread. You'll find that this healthier choice is actually much tastier as well.

   Also, I like to use "Skippy Reduced Fat" peanut butter. Honestly, in small doses peanut butter isn't so bad for you. It has tons benefits including...

   The benefits of peanut butter:

   • Peanuts contribute to brain health, brain circulation and blood flow.
   • It's a good source of Vitamin E which is great for your skin.
   • High in protein.
   • Has been shown to prevent certain types of cancer.

   That's it - Enjoy!

   If possible, pick out a jelly that has reduced sugar. Other than that, eat up and enjoy this healthy treat. I like to add a glass of skim milk to this combo to make my meal complete!

   
   
   

8. Mashed Potatoes
   Oh, the joy of eating mashed potatoes...

   From the first bite, this cozy, warm dish makes me feel good all over. Although, you can't really eat mashed potatoes as an entire meal, it certainly adds a nice comfort to any sit-down dinner or lunch.

   Here's a recipe that will cut down on the fat and calories found in conventional mashed potato mixes.

   
   
   
   
   

   Mashed Potatoes Recipe (for 2 people) Peel and slice 4 potatoes. Place the potato slices in a pot of boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft and breakable to the touch. Strain the potatoes from the water. Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl Using a potato masher or electric hand mixer, while mixing add your favorite skim milk until you get a thick and creamy consistency. Add a tablespoon of "Smart Balance" butter. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

   
   
   

9. Chili
   A hearty chili can really knock your socks off on a cool fall or winter day. I like to make chili right around New Years Eve when the weather is crisp and cold. It warms me up from the inside out.

   Here's a great lowfat chili comfort food recipe that will get you ready for this monumental meal.

   
   
   
   
   

   Chile Recipe (for 2 people)
   2 pounds Lean Ground Turkey 1 large Zucchini cut cubed 2 Green Peppers 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil 5 Strips of Chopped up Turkey Bacon	1 Package of Chili Seasoning 3 Cans (15.5oz) Kidney Beans drained 3 Cans (14.5oz) Tomatos diced 1 Package Taco Seasoning 5 teaspoons Chicken Gravy Mix
   Start by cooking the ground turkey until it is fully cooked. Add the two tablespoons of Olive oil to the turkey meat. Before doing so, drain the fat from the pan. Add the chopped up turkey bacon to the pot and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and kidney beans. Drain two of the cans of kidney beans and add the final can with the juice in the pot. Add both the chili and taco seasoning packets. Mix it up. Cook for about 20 minutes on a medium flame on the stovetop. Add the onions, green peppers and zucchini to the pot and cook it for another 20 minutes. You'll want to continuously stir the mix. After the the previous 20 minutes have passed add the 5 teaspoons of Chicken Gravy Mix It will thicken up the gravy and give it a great taste as well. Don't fret too much over cooking time, taste test intermediately and go with your gut. It's your chili. You can make it any way you like. Enjoy!

   
   
   

10. Macaroni and Cheese
    Macaroni and Cheese is my all time favorite comfort food.

    It's easy to make and will help you forget your worries right away. Now, there's NO WAY I'm going to try to convince you that macaroni and cheese is diet food. However, there are some things you can do to make it less fattening.

    You can lighten this dish up by using skim milk instead of regular milk. I also use "Smart Balance" light butter instead of regular butter. Whole wheat pasta will add fiber to the meal as well.

    And...

    If you really want to go all out with a healthy alternative, use part skim cheese instead of whole milk cheese.

    However you decide to make macaroni and cheese, you really can't mess up when it comes to cheese and pasta. That combination is really infallable.

    
    
    

These top ten comfort foods will put you at ease immediately, so give their lowfat alternative recipes a shot and you'll be encouraging your mental health without sabotaging your diet.

Also, these comfort food recipes are just the beginning...

Below, is a downloadable guide to healthy eating. It has tons of other healthy recipes in it that will allow you to substitute the bad stuff out of your favorite foods and still enjoy them with healthy ingredient alternatives.

It's an e-book, so you just need to click the link below and download the healthy eating guide right to your computer.

It's completely changed my life by taking the stress out of making difficult eating choices. Now I just Understand the fundamentals of nutrition better.

The major benefit is you can weight out food choices in your head and eat what you want without starving yourself to stay in shape.

This is the kind of knowledge you need to know in order to make a healthy lifestyle second nature when it comes to your food decisionmaking.

CLICK the link below right now, and start this next step towards self-improvement. This is your opportunity to be a better you for all time. Don't let it pass you by. Seize this very moment. I know it will change your life as it's changed mine.