proper comfort food - part two

By Fiona Kirk

So...if not Haagen Dazs, what should you eat to have the soothing calming effects of a real comfort food?

Tryptophan-rich Protein - Turkey, Milk, Cottage Cheese, Chicken, eggs, lean red meats, soybeans, tofu and nuts (especially almonds)

Complex Carbohydrates - Vegetables, Grains (brown not white), Lentils,  Beans, Fruit

Warming Foods – all the onion family, root vegetables, red fruits and berries, oats and lentils, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices

Try some of these suggestions to fill the need for ‘comfort’ without the   need to go up a dress size:-

Porridge (with milk or yoghurt, sliced fruit, a drizzle of honey and ground cinnamon, ginger or allspice)
Thick soups (lentil, vegetable, bean, chicken)
Mejadarra (recipe below)
Chilli con carne
Beans on toast (go for sugar-free beans and dense brown toast where possible)
Boiled eggs and soldiers or Scrambled eggs on toast
Kedgeree
Spaghetti Bolognese (homemade please!)
Baked potatoes/sweet potatoes filled with mixed beans, spicy lean beef, chopped egg and spinach, warm ratatouille
Goulash
Tagine (chicken, turkey or lamb)
Roast chicken with oven roasted veg (onions, potatoes + roots)
Cassoulet
Mince, potatoes + root veg mash
Warm berry compote with yoghurt and toasted almonds
Baked apples stuffed with mixed dried fruit or baked bananas stuffed with a few squares of Green + Blacks dark chocolate
Mulled wine
A steaming mug of delicious hot chocolate made with Green + Blacks chocolate flakes and creamy organic milk
Apple or rhubarb crumble (make the topping with a no-sugar muesli mix, a little melted butter and honey)
Cottage cheese (rich in tryptophan remember) and sliced pears with sea salt and black pepper (you must try this, it’s a magical combination when the pears are just perfect!)

The BBC Food website is a great source if you need recipes for any of the above and to keep your sugar, salt and saturated fat intake down, use a little honey or xylitol* instead of sugar, Maldon Sea Salt flakes instead of table salt, a good quality olive oil instead of butter or cooking fats and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk instead of full fat. 

My Mejadarra

Sautée some sliced onions and sliced mixed mushrooms in a little olive oil.  Add half a tin of lentils and the same amount of cooked brown basmati rice, a teaspoon or two of powdered mixed spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric etc), cover scantily with Marigold stock and simmer till the liquid more of less evaporates.  Season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, fluff it up with a fork and eat – should serve about 2 people

* xytlitol is a naturally-occurring sugar from the bark of beech trees which really does taste like sugar and can be used in hot drinks, sprinkled over food and for baking

For more ‘nutritional nuggets’ log on to my website www.fionakirk.com