Cooking Tips

Craving comfort foods?

Comfort foods like mashed potatoes can be made healthier by adding fresh green vegetables.

Autumn in Chicago has officially returned, along with our cravings for local comfort foods like pizza, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, cookies and casseroles.

These Midwest favorites are often served up with warmth, family tradition, memories — as well as hearty helpings of calories from fats, sugars and starches. A Catch-22, this can leave us either feeling guilty about an unhealthy diet if we indulge, or missing out on our favorite cold-weather dishes if we abstain. 

Fortunately, there is middle ground in this dilemma. It has never been easier to incorporate healthy, fresh and seasonal ingredients into comfort foods, thanks to healthy preparation tips from a local dietitian and Chicago’s booming year-round farmers market circuit.

Why we crave
Before we explore how to cope with our fall food cravings, it is important to understand why we are physically and mentally wanting those foods in the first place, according to Jenny Maloney, a registered dietitian at the Galter LifeCenter.

“Comfort foods taste good at the moment you are eating them, but cause a heavy, lethargic feeling afterward, leaving you sluggish and low on energy,” Maloney said. “Fresh foods and produce as part of balanced meals and snacks, by contrast, make us feel light and energized.”

She explained that by instinct people crave fatty, high-calorie foods when they are less active and the temperature outside drops. This is because our ancestors had to seek out high-calorie foods in order to sustain them through the harsh winter months when less food was available. However, because food today is readily available all year round, most people do not need the excess calories that they crave.

Maloney doesn’t advise foregoing your favorite foods altogether though.

“You don’t want to deprive yourself of a food you have been craving for a long time, or you may overeat it eventually,” she said. “On the other hand, you don’t want to always give in to your craving because it will become a habit instead of a treat.”

To curb high-fat cravings, she recommends making a concerted effort to consume a wide variety of fresh fruits, root vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains and lean meats. These can be incorporated into your traditional dishes or eaten regularly so you can indulge guilt-free on occasion.

Mixing comfort and nutrition
If you opt to tweak your comfort food recipes, Maloney recommends starting by simply adding fresh veggies and herbs to the recipes. For example, you can add sautéed kale to a lasagna or cauliflower puree to macaroni and cheese.

For soups, stews or casseroles, dried navy beans, kidney beans and black beans increase volume and thickness. Heavier vegetables like potatoes, turnips and carrots further increase thickness and add nutrients.

If you need ideas for a no-fuss comfort food, she recommends trying these healthy slow-cooker recipes, using low-sodium and low-fat bases for soup and stew bases, trimming fat off meat before cooking and leaving the skin off of chicken.

Where to find fresh winter produce
Although the summer harvest is over, many healthy, fresh ingredients are available, not only in grocery stores, but through local vendors at year-round farmers markets.

Just over the last five years, existing markets including Green City Market in Lincoln Park and the Logan Square Farmers Market have lengthened their seasons into the winter months. Smaller monthly markets run by local small businesses and churches have popped up and gained popularity, as well as new businesses specifically focused on offering a winter market option to Chicagoans. Urban Orchard in Andersonville is one such business. They opened their doors in August and intend to supply North side residents with fresh, local produce all year.

During the winter months, farmers at these indoor markets typically offer fresh root vegetables, sprouts, apples, pumpkins, hearty greens (like kale), meats, cheeses, eggs, honey, cider, preserves, vinegar and dried herb blends. Local produce typically restricted to summer may also be available thanks to green houses and hoop houses. 

Weekly indoor markets in Chicago
Green City Indoor Market
2430 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL. 60614
Saturdays, starting November 5, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chicago's Downtown Farmstand
66 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL. 60602
Open year-round
Weekdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Logan Square Indoor Farmers Market
The Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL. 60647
Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Runs November 6, 2011 until March 28, 2012

Churches' Center for Land and People / Market & Meals for Hope Program
Saturdays and Sundays at various churches and organizations throughout Chicago
The 2011-2012 market schedule coming soon.

Faith in Place Winter Farmer's Markets
Saturdays and Sundays at various churches and organizations throughout Chicago
The 2011-2012 market schedule coming soon

• Login
• Comment