The Ultimate {Healthy} Comfort Food Round Up - Over 150 THM and Keto Friendly Recipes (2024)

Comfort food. If anything throws us off the wagon it’s that, am I right? Nostalgic recipes that wrap us in a big, comforting hug with every bite. But what if I told you that was an illusion? Understanding that (and redefining “comfort”) just might set you free from bondage to food forever. Trim Healthy Mamas, you need this kind of Food Freedom in your life!

What’s Your Comfort Food Downfall?

Is it creamy mac and cheese? Maybe freshly baked bread slathered in butter. A big bowl of ice cream? Deep dish pizza with all the meats and extra cheese? Or maybe your comfort food pitfall is your Great Aunt Matilda’s Triple Decker Fudgy Cream Cheese Delight, perhaps.

Most of the time those comfort foods are packed full of fond memories and all the good feels. When we feel stressed or sad, we crave the good feels and (far too) often the foods associated with them.

ONE of mine is cheeseburgers and fries. I’m sure it’s because it was a special treat when I was little to go to McDonald’s (can you imagine?). Back then, they had those seats that were attached and swiveled so you could get in and out of them. It was always so fun to sit there and swivel the seat back and forth. Incessantly.

Drove my dad nuts.

But when I find myself wanting comfort food, burgers and fries are usually the first thing I crave.

We Wrestle With The Decision…

Have you had this conversation with yourself?

“I know I shouldn’t. I’ve been so good on my diet this week and I don’t want to blow it. I’m going to stay strong. Not gonna give in.”
“But I’m so stressed. I just want some comfort food. These past couple days have been so hard. One cheat isn’t going to hurt…”

The next thing we know we’re drowning our sorrows in a half-gallon of Moosetracks. Or a Triple Cheeseburger with Biggie Fries…AND Moosetracks.

For a moment, we feel better. Relieved even. Then we struggle with the consequences.

…And The Aftermath That Follows.

Pretty soon, those Good Feels turn on you. Physically, you don’t feel good – all that off-plan food you ate sends your blood sugar through the roof. You get a headache. Maybe feel achey. Your head fills up with fog again.

Then That Voice starts up its berating monologue. You know the one…

Why did you do that? You are so weak! You are never going to lose weight. You’ll never be able to stick to a diet. Your [mom, dad, teachers, friends…] were right, you’ll never succeed at anything. You suck.

You should just go eat more ice cream because you’re just a failure anyway…

Because you are now miserable, you think you need comfort food again.

And so the cycle repeats.

Did That Comfort Food Really Comfort You?

So let’s step back and really look at that, shall we?

For all of 5 minutes that bowl of ice cream gave you the illusion of comfort. Each creamy, sweet bite soothed your wounds a bit and made you feel better. I’ll give you that. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t reach for it.

But now it’s hours…or days…or weeks later, and you’re still beating yourself up over that cheat (or series of cheats because of that vicious cycle repeating itself). You feel awful physically. You feel awful emotionally. Your pants are tight again.

Where’s the comfort now?

Probably hanging out in your freezer and mocking you. Because it knows you’ll be back.

Redefining Comfort Food – It’s A Choice.

Every time you open your mouth to take a bit of food, you are making a choice. Many times it can almost be unconscious – like when we rush through our days and grab a bite to eat whenever we get the chance.

But, it’s still a choice. To break out of old patterns and habits something has to change. I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but it’s your choice to make. YOU have to decide to do something different.

You can either quit reaching for food for comfort or redefine what comfort food means to you.

Since I’m a lover of all things food, I prefer to redefine what comfort food is (although a reduction in reaching for food might also be a good thing 😉 ).

Mindset Change: Nourishment Is Comfort.

As with so many other things, we need to start with our mindset. As long as you believe those unhealthy “comfort foods” truly are comfort foods, you’ll have a hard time passing them up when you’re hurting and craving the Good Feels.

When you think back on how those foods make you feel physically after consuming them, and mentally/emotionally as you beat yourself up for giving in, ask yourself this question:

Is that REALLY comforting?

In the moment, yes. But the moment moves on and leaves you dealing with added pounds, out of whack blood sugar, and other effects. It doesn’t really care about that.

Here’s the deal —you have to tell your tongue to sit down and butt out. YOU are going to be making the decisions around here from now on. YOU will choose what is going into your body. And your tongue just needs to put a sock in it and be happy for food.

The Creed You Need When You Feel Like It’s Just Not Fair

When we give our bodies actual nourishment – food that is healthfully prepared and full of the nutrients we need – that is comforting. It helps all the systems work well. And when everybody plays nicely together, there’s far less chaos.

Peace In The Middle Of The Storm.

Your personal food choices won’t change the behavior of other people. It won’t keep bill collectors from calling. It won’t make your kids behave or your co-workers not be jerks.

But nourished bodies and minds tend to respond to situations better (instead of reacting out of emotion).

If your brain isn’t foggy, it can remember to pay the bills on time.

If your behavior is better around your kids often they will follow your lead (especially if they act out to get a reaction from you and now you’re responding calmly instead of reacting).

And not reacting to your jerk co-workers also may be the same…some people are just kids in adult bodies, right?

Nourished bodies work better, and when your body is running well it can face the challenges of each day better too.

Let’s Swap “Comfort Food” For Nourishing Comfort.

Many recipes can easily be made more healthy by simply changing a few ingredients. For example, instead of pasta use spaghetti squash or spiralized veggie noodles. This cool spiralizer make “zoodles” (zucchini noodles) in a flash.

It’s not always enough to just eliminate certain foods, like refined sugar.Adding nutrient-dense, superfood ingredients when possible also helps nourish our bodies.

If you’re a Trim Healthy Mama follower, you have tons of THM-ified recipes to choose from when that craving for comfort food strikes. Even if you don’t follow the THM plan, the HUGE list of recipes I’ve listed below are still fantastically healthy ways to make that comfort food you crave.

You don’t HAVE to use special ingredients, but if you have any of these add them to your foods:

MCT oil – healthy fat, helps boost metabolism
Nutritional yeast – great source of B vitamins, plus protein, cheesy flavor
Collagen – amino acids, protein, immune support
Gelatin – amino acids, protein, immune support
Whey protein – protein, supports immune system, boost metabolism
Red palm oil – another healthy fat, rich in antioxidants
Baobab powder – rich in vitamin C, iron, and other minerals, prebiotic fiber

Make sure to use healthy fats and oils, such as coconut oil, red palm oil, and olive oil. Grassfed butter is best, but even just replacing unhealthy margarine with regular butter is a step in the right direction.

True Comfort Foods, Inspired By THM:

I want to say thank you to my THM Blogging Buddies for sharing some of the following delicious comfort food recipes! They are an amazing group of talented ladies, be sure to stop by their blogs and say thank you for their hard work and dedication!

*Not all of the recipes below are from THM bloggers, but they all are THM friendly. Always check ingredients and compare to plan guidelines when looking for recipes.

Also, don’t forget the amazing recipes in the THM books! The first cookbook and Trim Healthy Table are stuffed with tasty, healthy, on-plan recipes.

What are you craving? Check out the list below for your favorite (healthified) comfort foods!

Pizza

How to Make Holy Grail (Fathead) Pizza on a Himalayan Salt Plate(S) – because the crust is ah-MAZ-ing!

Low Carb Pizza Bites (S) air fryer or oven!

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels(S) – My Table of Three

Easy Peasy Pizza Bites (S) – Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved

White Spinach Pizza(S) – Joy Filled Eats

Fresh Mozzarella & Arugula Grilled Pizza(S) – Joy Filled Eats

Chipotle Chicken Pizza Squares (S) – MamaShire

Best Keto Pizza Crust (S) – Easy Keto Dishes

Fooled Ya Pizza (S) – Trim Healthy Mama

Fast Food Favorites

Jalapeno Burger with Sriracha Burger Sauce(S)

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries with Creamy Cajun Ranch Dressing – (E)

Crunchy Salty Stuff (Plus Dips)

Easy Pickled Onions (FP)I love to have these with cheese chunks, olives, pickles, and turkey pepperoni!

Creamy Cajun Ranch Dressing or Dip(FP)

Low Carb Cheesy Baked Beef and Pepper Dip (S)

Easy 3-Ingredient Guacamole (S)

Low Carb Baked Reuben Dip (S)

Easy Baked Cheese Crackers – (S) this was a review for SmarterBaking’s silicone baking mat, recipe is toward the end of the post.

Sourdough Pretzel Crackers (E) – Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved

Baked Cheddar Parmesan Crisps (S) – Wholesome Yum

Zucchini Nacho Chips (S) – Keto Adapted

Dairy Free Instant Pot Queso (FP) – All The Nourishing Things can also be made on the stove top! Perfect with baked tortilla chips or sprouted pretzels for an E snack! My favorite are Unique Sprouted Pretzel Shells.

Fermented Tex-Mex Salsa (FP) – Traditional Cooking School

Crunchy Sprouted Chickpea Snacks – 3 Ways(E) – All The Nourishing Things a great alternative to corn nuts!

Baked Pepperoni Chips (S) – Sugar Free Like Me

Pepperoni Bites (S) – Mrs Criddle’s Kitchen

Low Carb Pretzel Dippers (S) – Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved

Gluten Free Low Carb Mozzarella Sticks (S) – Wholesome Yum