Healthy Comfort Foods
Low Carb Comfort Food Favourites Perfect For Fall & Winter
The weather is getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and we all start craving different kinds of foods this time of year. We want things that are warm, hearty, and aromatic to fill our bellies and give us an overall feeling of calm and comfort. Here’s a collection of delicious comfort food recipes and essential low carb products to make amazing meals that the whole family will enjoy on even the frostiest days of the long Canadian winter.
Comfort foods are often seen as synonymous with foods that aren’t always the healthiest. However, we’re here to prove that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Comfort foods absolutely can be as healthy and nutritious as they are warm and comforting, especially when you make them the low carb way. With a few smart adjustments and some clever low carb ingredient substitutions, there’s virtually no kind of comfort food that can’t be made healthier and perfect for the low carb lifestyle.
We’ve compiled a delightful selection of classic comfort food recipes that feature low carb counts and simple ingredient choices to help increase nutritional values, and are sure to fill your home with familiar aromas to take you back in time and surround your soul with warmth. But first, let’s talk about some popular low carb products that are essential to have handy when your kitchen switches into comfort food mode.
Low Carb Pasta And Noodles
For some people, pasta is the number one thing that pops into their minds when they hear the words ‘comfort food’. Naturally, low carbers need to think a little differently about pasta and noodles, but this is actually really easy to do given how many amazing low carb options exist. For example, popular low carb brands like Al Dente, nuPasta, Natural Heaven, and PSquared Eat Smart offer a wide variety of noodle styles to suit all types of comforting pasta dishes.
If you prefer a shorter bite-sized noodle, check out Ciao Carb’s High-Protein Fusilli noodles or PSquared Keto-Friendly Fabulous Penne noodles. For those who like to twirl a longer noodle, Al Dente’s Carba Nada Fettuccine noodles or Ciao Carb’s High-Protein Spaghetti noodles. Whatever style of low carb pasta you’re hunting for, you’ll find it here at The Low Carb Grocery. Our low carb & keto-friendly pasta selection is almost endless!
Low Carb & Keto Friendly Flours & Baking Supplies
Nothing brings back fond childhood memories like the smell of fresh baked goodies filling the house. Whether you’re thinking of soft chocolate chip cookies, warm muffins, or some other fresh-from-the-oven treat, making them with healthy low carb ingredients is a snap. First, let’s talk about what kinds of alternative flours you can use to make delicious baked goods that are lower in carbs than those made with traditional wheat flour.
Perhaps the most popular low carb flour for cooking and baking is almond flour. It’s versatile, easy to use, and bakes in a virtually identical manner to regular wheat flour at a 1-to-1 ratio. This means no conversions are needed when swapping out wheat flour for almond flour. Next up is coconut flour, which is also a very useful alternative to wheat flour. Unlike almond flour, coconut flour tends to absorb a little more moisture than normal wheat flour does. This means most recipes will use less coconut flour, or may require a greater ratio of liquid ingredients to compensate. In general, it’s best to find a recipe that specifically calls for coconut flour if you choose to use it, as it will help avoid the final results being too dry or too wet. For more alternatives, be sure to check out our complete selection of flours and meals for low carb baking and cooking.
In addition to the base flour, there are many other common baking ingredients that are available in low carb versions. These include such products as chocolate chips of all types, frosting mixes, and pie fillings, for example. Also, to simplify things and make delicious low carb baked goodies in less time, there are plenty of fantastic baking mixes available. Choose from a wide range of muffin mixes, cookie and brownie mixes, bread and biscuit mixes, cake mixes, pizza dough mixes, pancake and waffle mixes, and more.
Low Carb Hot Drinks, Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa
Another way to enjoy some delicious comfort is with a rich and flavourful hot drink that will help shake off the chills on a cold day. It’s easy to take your morning coffee to another level with an infusion of flavour from Allo Low Carb Coffee Creamer, available in varieties like Caramel, Hazelnut, and Vanilla. For something a little more indulgent, try one of the instant sugar-free cappuccino mixes by Caffe D’Vita including French Vanilla and Mocha, or try their amazing sugar-free hot cocoa mix for a winter time treat that kids of all ages will love.
Some people prefer the aromas and delicate flavours of tea over coffee, which is ideal for the low carb lifestyle as tea is naturally low in carbs and can easily be sweetened with all types of artificial sweeteners. Now’s your chance to discover the rich taste experience of Equal Exchange Organic Teas like Rooibos Tea, Green Tea, and classic Earl Grey Tea.
Comfort Food Favourites Made The Low Carb Way
Now it’s time to get cooking! We’ve gathered up this collection of comfort food recipes from some of our favourite websites to share with you, and we’re sure you won’t be disappointed. Here, you’ll find comfort food essentials like chicken noodle soup and beef stew right alongside exciting family favourites like fried chicken and mac & cheese. Speaking of which, that’s a great one to start with!
Low Carb & Keto-Friendly Mac & Cheese – The author of this recipe calls out something that we’ve also noticed when hunting for low carb mac and cheese recipes, and that is that almost all of them use cauliflower as an alternative to the actual macaroni pasta. Now, don’t get us wrong here, because those recipes that do use cauliflower are amazing and you should absolutely try them too, but there’s something about the traditional elbow macaroni that just makes mac and cheese all that much more comforting. That’s why we recommend trying Fiber Gourmet Light Elbow Macaroni Noodles when you make your mac and cheese. This dish is going to fly off the plates at dinner time!
Classic Low Carb Beef Stew – A big, hearty bowl of beef stew is the very definition of comfort food. It’ll satisfy even the biggest of appetites, and the rich, savoury flavours will make you feel warm and cozy from the inside out. This recipe takes this to heart and elevates classic beef stew with clever substitutions of vegetables that are lower in carbs and skips the traditional sauce thickeners that are made from wheat and cornstarch. Of course, if you simply can’t have beef stew without a thick and heavy sauce, you can easily make a low carb thickener using xantham gum or konjac glucomannan powder to get the gravy texture you want.
Keto Chicken Noodle Soup – Chicken noodle soup is definitely a family favourite all year round, but it really does hit differently during the cold months of autumn and winter. Plus, it’s a must-have whenever someone in your family is feeling under the weather and fighting off a cold. This recipe is exactly what the doctor ordered, and it’s full of robust flavour, hearty pieces of delicious vegetables, and perfectly tender chunks of chicken. Plus, there’s no worry about the carbs typically found in the noodles, because this version uses shirataki noodles to give you the complete chicken noodle soup experience with a very low carb count.
Air Fryer Low Carb Fried Chicken – Fried chicken is just so good, isn’t it? It’s one of those irresistible favourite meals that will rally the entire family around the kitchen table. Unfortunately, traditional methods of making fried chicken can be really messy, with a whole lot of leftover oil to dispose of. Air fryers have changed the home-cooking game in a lot of ways, including making it a heck of a lot easier and cleaner to fry up some delicious crispy chicken. This recipe uses a blend of parmesan cheese and almond flour to make a light, perfectly-crispy coating that’s low in carbs and big on taste. It’s so easy, you’ll be adding this recipe to your regular meal plan for sure!
Enjoy The Comforting Tastes Of Hearty Low Carb Recipes And Nourish Your Soul
Ok, now we’re hungry! Whether you’re off to prepare a heaping plate of delicious fried chicken or get a pot of rich beef stew simmering on the stove, we’re sure that your family will come running when the captivating and comforting aromas fill the house. Making amazing low carb comfort foods can be really easy, and this is the perfect time of year to give some new versions of comfort food favourites a try. Happy cooking!
