Why do we crave “comfort foods” during the winter, like soups, chilis and anything cheesy?

“A lot of it has to do with the warming effect of these foods,” says Corey Tolbert, RD, LD, a licensed and registered dietitian at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. “We also tend to have memories attached to certain comfort foods, such as grandma's casserole or chocolate chip cookies.”

Seasonal depression, also called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), may also cause you to crave high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

Some comfort foods can steal your energy

“Many comfort foods are higher in fat and carbohydrates, which spike your blood sugar, and when it drops, you feel sluggish,” she says. “Fat is harder for the body to digest, so when you eat a lot of it, it can zap your energy because the body is working harder to digest it.”

Healthy options for comfort food

“Eating is part of life and you’re more apt to stick with a healthy lifestyle if you don’t deprive yourself of what you really enjoy – just find ways to make them healthier,” says Tolbert.

Give your favorite comfort foods a makeover with these tips: 

• Creamy soups. “I make a lot of soups in the winter time,” says Tolbert. “I like cream-based soups more than broth-based, so to make them healthier, I blend cannellini beans with ¼ cup of broth from the soup I’m making, then pour it back into the soup. It gives you a creamy consistency and more fiber, iron and protein, with less fat.” You can also make soups creamier by swapping the cannellini beans for cauliflower and adding two tablespoons of whole wheat or gluten-free flour to thicken the soup.

• Grilled cheese sandwiches. “Use multigrain bread where you can see the grains in it,” suggests Tolbert. “Cut back on butter and instead use olive oil spray. You can also add some veggies and reduce the amount of cheese to make the sandwich more nutritious.”

• Oven-baked fries. To get homemade oven-baked fries to be crispy, make sure they aren’t touching while they’re on the pan. “If there’s not enough room for air to circulate, they will steam instead of getting crispy,” she explains.

• Mashed potatoes. Tolbert suggests using half potatoes and half cauliflower in your recipe. “You’ll get that creamy consistency, but cut back on the carbs,” she says. “You can add flavor with lighter ingredients like plain Greek yogurt, feta cheese and chicken broth.”

• Casseroles. “Anytime you make a casserole, look at the ingredients to see where you can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or if you can reduce the amount of butter,” says Tolbert. “I make a squash casserole where I use plain Greek yogurt for sour cream, corn flakes instead of buttery crackers, and I cut the amount of butter in half. Doing this literally cut the fat and calories in half and you can’t tell the difference.”

• Pasta. It’s fine to eat pasta, she says, just pick a 100 percent whole wheat variety. Or try ancient grains like farro, quinoa or kamut. “These grains are versatile, have protein and fiber, and take on the taste of the recipe you’re cooking,” she says.

Other tips:

• Add veggies wherever you can. Blend zucchini, spinach or cauliflower into soups, sauces or meatballs – you won’t know they’re there. Pureed pumpkin, sweet potatoes and butternut squash can lend some creaminess and sweetness to a recipe like macaroni and cheese.

• Use dark chocolate. In your baking recipes, try using dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate (look for chocolate that is at least 70 percent cacao).

• Use real butter. “Avoid partially hydrogenated oils often found in margarine and use real butter instead,” she says.

“When it comes down to it, it’s all about moderation and balance,” says Tolbert. “You don’t want to go to a party and not have your favorite dessert, but consider how much you’re eating. I like to follow the 80/20 rule – eat nutritious foods 80 percent of the time and enjoy more indulgent foods in moderation.”

Check out more recipes and nutrition tips from Cancer Wellness experts.