Healthy Comfort Food Swaps

Last Updated on March 8, 2025 by Christin Gillespie

Craving a nostalgia-inducing dish, but not the discomfort? Then this Healthy Comfort Food Swaps post has got you covered. In it, you’ll find healthy alternatives to your beloved favorites & a list of clean plant-based recipes to satisfy your comfort food needs!

Comfort food is something that everyone loves.

Each of us has our own preferences & we all crave comfort food at some point in our day, week, year, or season of life.

For me personally, I gravitate towards healthy plant-based curries + chilis during the winter months & frozen chocolate blends during the summer months.

When those cravings arise, most of us aren’t programmed to gravitate towards the healthier option.

However, my intention is to inform & share some healthy alternatives so you can nourish your body with the comfort that it craves.

Swap #1: Healthy Oils

Let’s be honest, fats make meals taste delicious. Not only do they add any extra level of flavor, but they’re also packed with benefits. The key though, is to select healthy fats & not the typical refined, vegetable + seed oils.

Healthy Oils:

Organic Avocado Oil
Organic Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive
Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil

Recipes Using Healthy Oils

Swap #2: Refined-Sugar Alternatives

Natural sugars can still add that perfect sweetness to recipes such as baking, coffee, cooking, etc.

Refined-Sugar Alternatives

Organic Coconut Sugar
Organic Date Sugar
Organic Date Syrup
Organic Pure Maple Syrup
Manuka Honey
Raw Honey
Stevia

Recipes Using Refined-Sugar Alternatives

Swap #3: Celtic Salt

A healthy pinch of salt is not only key to formulate tasty comfort food recipes, but it’s also essential for our body to properly function.

However, not all salt is created equal. No table salt allowed.

My go-to is Celtic sea salt.

Recipes Using Celtic Salt

Swap #4: Protein Pasta

Whether your Italian or not, everyone loves a good pasta dish. However, for some, consuming it results in feeling bloated, heavy, & just uncomfy.

The ultimate pasta hack is to use pasta noodles that are made with one ingredient – organic chickpea or organic lentil flour. It tastes just like the real deal, it’s organic, it’s packed with fiber, and it’s high in protein. My favorite brand is Chickapea!

Recipes Using Protein Pasta

Swap #5: Cacao

Cacao is probably my go-to comfort food. I have a bit of a sweet tooth.

I typical add organic cacao powder and/or organic cacao plant protein to my smoothie recipes, but it can be included in just about anything that needs a little richness.

If you would rather have something more dense, these are the brands that I recommend:

Pascha
Evolved
Living Raw
Hu Kitchen

Just stay clear of any natural flavors, gums, refined sugars, refined oils, or anything else that you can’t pronounce, when selecting chocolate from the bar.

Recipes Using Cacao

Healthy Comfort Food Recipes

As promised, below are a few of the many clean comfort food recipes on my blog!

Main Dishes

Frozen Cacao Protein Treats

Final Thoughts

There you have it, Healthy Comfort Food Swaps, along with a several clean plant-based recipes.

Which healthy swap will you make the switch to?

Xoxo.

Christin.

Hello! I'm Christin.

Healthy Comfort Food Swaps