5 Comfort Food Recipes, With a Healthy Twist

Cozy feel-good meals are in season all year long, but “comfort food” doesn’t have to equal less-than-healthy. Each of these delicious dishes manages to incorporate good-for-you ingredients, plus even experienced home cooks will find new techniques to add to their repertoire — from substituting natural sweeteners for refined sugar to cooking lentils in creamy coconut milk to amp up the flavor. Whether you’re craving something hearty and satisfying, or yearning for a taste of nostalgia from family meals past, these tasty recipes fill the bill.

Rice and Peas develops its deep, delicious flavor with coconut milk, allspice berries, Scotch bonnet chiles and thyme.

Lauren Vied Allen

Rice and Peas

Emmy Award-winning documentarian and food historian Von Diaz was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, and she’s made it her life’s work to highlight the intersection of food, identity and culture. In her latest book, Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking, Diaz shares 125 recipes from the islands dotted across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, weaving the powerful stories of how the dishes came to be into the book’s narrative. With colorful photographs and engaging prose, she teaches readers time-honored techniques such as pickling, braising and smoking, so even the most seasoned home cook will have something to learn. Her version of Rice and Peas — a dish that generations of island families have found comfort in making — develops its deep, delicious flavor with coconut milk, allspice berries, Scotch bonnet chiles and thyme. 

Get recipe: Rice and Peas

Dressed-Up Tinned Fish leverages quality fish, green tomatoes, hazelnuts and fresh parsley.

Chris Bernabeo

Dressed-Up Tinned Fish

Los Angeles-based business partners Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson are the chefs behind the popular eateries Kismet and Kismet Rotisserie, and now they share their signature Mediterranean-meets-California fare in Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes. With more than 100 veggie-forward recipes, the duo incorporates fresh flavors and colorful ingredients that pack a powerful nutrient-dense punch. It’s a delightful way to find comfort in the beauty of seasonal produce. In their recipe for Dressed-Up Tinned Fish, Kramer tells the story of how, when she was living out of hotel rooms as a teenage musical theater performer, she fell in love with protein in the form of fish out of a can. This “dressed-up” version of her nostalgic favorite leverages quality fish, green tomatoes, hazelnuts and fresh parsley. Pile it on top of toast for an elegant, comforting appetizer, or enjoy it as a lunch all for yourself.

Get recipe: Dressed-Up Tinned Fish

One-Skillet Apple Pie uses no refined sugar, calling for maple syrup and naturally sweet dates.

Israel Palacio

One-Skillet Apple Pie

Dan Churchill has coached athletes and ultra-fit celebrities such as Alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn and actor Chris Hemsworth (who wrote the book’s foreword) and considers himself a “performance chef.” He believes in packing your diet with wholesome food that tastes great and helps you feel your best. In his new book Eat Like a Legend: Delicious, Super Easy Recipes to Perform at Your Peak, he shares hearty, satisfying recipes that incorporate good-for-you ingredients without sacrificing flavor. If you’re craving a classic comforting dessert, make his One-Skillet Apple Pie. It uses no refined sugar (instead it calls for maple syrup and naturally sweet dates) and packs in plenty of fiber, so you can feel good about a sweet ending to a meal.

Get recipe: One-Skillet Apple Pie