December Comfort Food
Comfort food is on the mind as December starts. That can mean only one thing: weight loss. Well, that is true if you choose smart. Here are our top picks for comfort food that is warming, hearty, satisfying, and good for weight loss.
Mac and Cheese
We cannot help but start the list with Mac and Cheese. It is ooey, gooey, and tops for comforting, but it can have There is something wrong with diving into a bowl of carbs, fat, and calories when you can get those same flavors without penalty. BariatricPal Protein Entrees: Cheesy Mac has romano, parmesan, and cheddar cheese and real pasta, with none of the excess of regular mac and cheese.
Each serving has 220 calories and 12 grams of protein to help lower the glycemic index and keep you full for longer after the meal. You do not even need to follow a recipe or order the dish. Just heat the entrée and enjoy your meal in minutes
Chili Your Way
A bowl of chili may have a lot of protein, but it also has enough serious carbs, fat, and calories to make it more discomforting than comforting. Instead of ordering or serving up a bowl with 300 to (gasp!) over 1,000 calories, serve yourself Protein Chili instead. You can choose single-serve Turkey Chili with Beans that you can heat and eat for a complete meal with 220 calories and 21 grams of protein. Another idea is to opt for a packet of Vegetable Chili with Beans with 120 calories and 12 grams of protein. All of our protein chili choices taste great and are ready in minutes for a guilt-free lunch or dinner.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Broccoli cheese soup is creamy, cheesy, warming, and oh-so-bad for you. Can you really feel comforted when you know that you are essentially sipping protein-less fat that sticks to your hips? Make these problems vanish with Broccoli Cheddar Protein Soup with real broccoli. It has 15 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fat. The single-serving packet has 100 calories that you can make within minutes on the stove or using the microwave.
Skip the 100 to 200 calories’ worth of bread or croutons that may come with your soup and deliver an extra 25 or more grams of carbs. Instead, crumble low-carb Protein Cheese Snacks into your soup for an extra cheesy flavor with added crunch.
Chocolate with Chocolate and Chocolate
No way can a list of comfort foods be complete without something seriously chocolatey. Chocolate chip cookies are a nice start, but you can do better. Why stop at chocolate chips when you can bury them in a chocolate cookie and drizzle the whole thing with chocolate icing? Why would you add fat and sugar to your day when you can get a dose of protein instead?
BariatricPal Triple Chocolate Protein Cookies are chocolate cookies with chocolate chunks and chocolate drizzle. Each has 15 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, and 150 calories. They lend themselves to dessert, but we’ve been known to have them for snacks and even for breakfast. They go so well with peanut butter or with fat-free cream cheese and strawberries!
Stay warm and comforted this winter with soups, stews, chilis, and more. The BariatricPal Store has the high-protein, low-carb selections you need to stay on your diet, with the great flavors you need to stay satisfied. Happy eating!
