Comfort foods warm your soul while reminding you of the beautiful memories that you’ve made over the years while sharing the kitchen and special meals with your loved ones. While you might have once ate that bowl of macaroni and cheese with no worries about the fat content as a kid, times might have changed.

Choosing to eat healthier helps you live longer so that you can look forward to many more years of beautiful shared moments with your family around the table, and paying attention to what you eat doesn’t have to mean tossing your favorite recipes. Instead, you can make a few simple changes to create a healthier version of your favorite comfort foods.

Use Butternut Squash to Make Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

A warm, golden bowl of macaroni and cheese is a hit with even the pickiest eaters. Homemade versions of this dish are definitely better than what you can make from a box, but almost every recipe tends to be laden with fat. Using butternut squash to cut down on how much cheese you need helps to pack this dish with more nutrients and fewer calories. You’ll even love how the butternut squash increases the visual appeal by adding a deeper yellow-orange hue to the sauce.

Keep the Crunch But Ditch the Fat With Pretzel-Crusted Chicken

Fresh fried chicken has been a staple among families that is perfect for enjoying with your family while you enjoy a football game on TV or a picnic at the park. Similar to macaroni and cheese, this meal can get overly greasy really fast. Our pretzel-crusted chicken lets you keep that crunchy texture you get from frying, but baking the meat helps you cut out the fat. On top of the delicious flavor, using our meal delivery service New Jersey families prefer lets you enjoy a faster clean up since all you have to do is heat the chicken and eat.

Enjoy a Low-Sodium Green Bean Casserole

A rich green bean casserole is a favorite comfort food that tends to make its appearance around Thanksgiving, but you might enjoy it as a normal dinner side any time of the year. The most common recipe you’ll find relies heavily on canned green beans and soups that are unfortunately filled with tons of salt. To make this healthier, all you have to do is choose fresher ingredients and make the sauce from scratch. If you’re short on time, then you can skip the green bean prep by using our meal delivery NJ menu that offers fresh-snipped green beans that add fuller flavor and don’t require adding extra salt in your favorite recipe.

There’s something about the smell and taste of comfort foods that can transport you back to simpler times. Whether you’re the type to crave fried chicken or prefer a sweeter dish, thinking creatively is the best way to make sure that you have your favorite flavors on your plate. This year, take a moment to think outside-of-the-box and experiment in the kitchen. You might just find that your healthier version of a time-proven recipe is even better than the original.

"Creating Culinary Magic"

- Chef John Deatcher

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