Comfort during stressful times

Mashed potatoes. Ice cream. Peanut butter. Oreos.

Hello comfort foods, my old friends.

While I prepare for midterms, I have started to stock my room with food essentials to help endure all-nighters and absolute frustration. Needless to say, I have enough food to last me through the next two weeks if I decide not to eat outside of my dorm.
Not that I should live strictly on junk food.

But most comfort foods are foods high in fat and low in healthiness. There may be some good nutrients and vitamins, but I think I’d have a hard time arguing with my mother that it’s OK to get my daily fruit intake from strawberry-flavored gummy bears.

That being said, comfort foods do not have to be unhealthy all of the time. After looking at some classic recipes, I found some healthy alternatives and suggestions that will make you feel a little less guilty after “nomming” your way through midterms.

Grilled cheese sandwich
This is one of my favorite things in the world, and really easy to make healthy.
You don’t have to stick with your typical American cheese, so feel free to try provolone or mozzarella. Always try wheat bread, and watch the amount of butter used to make the sandwich. And, with a toaster oven or microwave, you don’t need butter.

Chicken pot pie
It’s really simple to make this healthy. Pot pies typically already have vegetables in them, and the biscuit topping can be made whole grain. For the cream sauce, use reduced-fat sour cream to keep the taste without the fat.

Potatoes
It sounds really broad, but think about it. Not a single person I know really dislikes potatoes. Potato skins, mashed potatoes or double baked potatoes — they’re all good.
Again, play around with ingredients. Add broccoli to double-baked potatoes. Another way to mix it up is to make smashed potatoes instead of just mashed potatoes. By keeping the skins of the potatoes on, you’re eating the most nutritious part.

Brownies
I never really classify myself as a brownie girl, but on occasion, the warm gooeyness of a good chocolate square can really brighten my day. The best part about brownies is that you can add almost any ingredient to them, and it’ll work with the recipe.
Now, this might sound crazy, but trust me  — add dried cherries to the brownie mix. The tartness and texture help accentuate the earthy taste of the chocolate. Don’t forget to add walnuts, which have healthy fats, and try using semi-sweet chocolate chips, which have more nutrients than regular.

Pizza
Possibly the most glorified fast food in the United States. People rely on knowing that at the end of the day, they can always order a dish with three central ingredients to fill them up and calm them down. And the variety of toppings makes eating it so much more fun, and healthy.

Try and spice things up by adding an extra vegetable or trying a new cheese. Vegetables add more flavor and texture than you might think, and switching up cheese blends might save some calories.

Of course, comfort foods are meant to soothe the soul, not make you over-think your calorie intake. And since we’re all studying hard — or at least making attempts to look like we’re studying hard — it’s okay to splurge this one time and not care what we put in our mouths.

Just remember, it’s not hard to be healthy if you still want to relax with the wonders of comfort food.