Breakfast pastries, creamy soups, pot pies, and apple pie are just a few of the wonderfully creamy and nostalgically comforting foods we eat during the winter and holiday season. Since nutritional value is on your mind, we've gathered ten healthy twists to decadent favorites that will please your palate and satiate any comfort food craving


Breakfast Pastries

Ditch the cinnamon rolls and make a zucchini apple breakfast cake with cashew glaze instead.

It's vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with apple juice, yacon syrup, and sucanat sugar. 




Cookie Dough

We've all been guilty of feasting on spoons full of raw cookie dough out of the fridge.

Fitnessista created two versions of breakfast cookie dough cereal: raw and cooked, so you can enjoy the flavor and texture of cookie dough but in breakfast cereal form. 


Waffles

For a lighter rendition of an old favorite, whip up some vegan, gluten-free waffles that are also sugar-free.

Make a waffle sandwich by placing a layer of bananas and maple syrup in between two waffles. 


Creamy Soup

Black bean and sweet potato soup gives you your creamy soup fix with puréed black beans and sweet potatoes.

Take it to the next level by adding avocados and plain yogurt on top. 


Mac and Cheese 

Nothing screams comfort food more than a good bowl of mac and cheese. 

Search for a vegan version uses earth balance, nutritional yeast, and vegetable broth to create the "cheese" sauce. 


Beans and Rice 

It seems like every culture has a spin on beans and rice, whether it's black beans and rice in Latin America, red beans and rice in the South, or tofu (soy beans) and rice in Asia.

Try the Cuban rice and beans which is made with brown rice and is flavored with spicy Latin American flavors. 


Pot Pie 

Traditionally pot pies are extremely rich and creamy, but a healthy vegetarian pot pie is loaded with vegetables.

The white beans add protein and give the filling an added thickness. 


Banana Bread 

Enjoy all the banana flavor, minus the cholesterol and fat from eggs and butter in a low-fat banana bread that packs in chocolate, cherries, and walnuts for a decadent twist. 


Oatmeal Cookies 

Oats, flax, raisins, and brown sugar combine to create the perfect, chewy iced oatmeal cookie recipe.

Vegans and dairy-free dieters will be pleased by the recipe's old-fashioned flavor and texture. 


Apple Pie

Healthful Pursuit's grilled mini inside out apple pies are a playful vegan spin on America's favorite pie.

Cover them in foil, and grill them outside, or simply bake them in your oven. 

Bon slim appétit!

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