19 Classic Comfort Foods Made Healthier

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These Classic Comfort Foods got a healthy makeover! They have lower fat, less calories or sneaky veggies, but you won’t even notice and no one will be complaining! From fried chicken and lasagna to cheesecakes and cookies — it’s all here 🙂

classic comfort foods made healthier collage with multiple images and text

I’ve always kind of loved the post-Christmas lull.

We don’t normally do anything exciting on New Years (I mean, not since we had kids anyway!), so there’s nothing big to get ready for. But we’re also still kind of recovering from Christmas madness and not quite ready to really get back to the grind.

The chaos is over, but there’s still plenty of leftover turkey and holiday baking.

But after eating allthethings between Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, if you’re anything like me (and 90% of the world) you’re starting to think back over those countless feasts and try to figure out how you let things get so out of control. Again.

You know me, and you know I love comfort food. I would even say it is My Thing here. But I also put in a lot of effort making my favorite comfort foods healthier for you, and sneaking in veggies where I can, and I’ve come up with quite a stockpile of them.

I wanted to keep them all in one place, so that over the next few months as you get back into the routine — and out of your stretchy holiday pants — you can refer back here for more meal ideas to get you through.

These recipes are all family-friendly, and many have lower fat, added veggies, lower sugar, or added protein but they still look, taste and feel like all of your favorites. I hope you find some to enjoy!

Oven-Fried Chicken

oven fried chicken on grey plate with parchment and one piece cut open

Homemade Hamburger Helper

one pot hamburger helper close up image in skillet

Key Lime Greek Yogurt Cheesecakes

mini key lime greek yogurt cheesecakes with fresh lime slices

Slow Cooker Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

slow cooker chicken broccoli rice casserole in black crockpot with scoop

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

healthier skillet chicken parmesan on plate with spaghetti

Skinny Honey Banana Coffee Cake

skinny honey banana coffee cake piece on stack of three blue plates

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

lighter cheeseburger soup in white bowl with cheddar cheese and green onions

The Best Skinny Lemon Bars

the best skinny lemon bars stack of 3 on white plate

One Pot Skillet Lasagna

skillet lasagna in white pan with metal scoop pulling up some noodles

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

healthier chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies on white plate with chopped peanuts

Pesto Spinach Alfredo Sauce

peso spinach alfredo sauce over fettuccine on grey plate

Baked Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts

baked lemon blueberry donuts stack of two on white and blue plate

Healthier Spinach Dip

spinach artichoke dip in black skillet with spoon scooping some

Classic Banana Bread

loaf of banana bread on wooden cutting board with one slice cut and buttered

Skinny Cajun Shrimp Alfredo

cajun shrimp alfredo close up in grey bowl with shredded parmesan cheese

Healthy Easy Turkey Pot Pie

healthy turkey pot pie with top cut out to reveal turkey and vegetables

Light Overnight Caramel French Toast

caramel french toast stack with one bite out

Chili Cheese Biscuit Casserole

chili cheese biscuit casserole overhead in bright blue baking dish with wooden spoon
four image square collage of healthier comfort foods with title

Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. marcie says

    I’ve eaten so horribly the past few months and need all the lightened up dishes I can get my hands on! This round up is so full of delicious recipes that I can’t wait to try, and thank you for including my post Ashley!

  2. Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says

    What a great idea! Since Christmas ended I’ve definitely been reconsidering my eating choices! I love this roundup- that Homemade Hamburger Helper looks amazing!

  3. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    I love the week between Christmas and New Year’s too…it still feels like a vacation, sort of! I’ve eat my fair share of EVERYTHING recently, so I’m definitely ready to start eating healthier. This list looks perfect, Ashley! What a great collection of recipes! That pesto spinach alfredo sauce is calling my name!

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