Comfort Foods - Cut the Calories

Men might cozy up to pizza, pasta, steaks and casseroles but not women. Nope. When we want comfort, we go straight for the candy and chocolate. And on cold days, warm soups, mashed potatoes and toasty breads might fill the void. Nothing wrong with that. Well, except for the fact that comfort foods tend to harbor lots of calories, fat and sodium.

Never fear, says registered dietician Julie Schwartz for AccentHealth: "Foods such as mashed potatoes, which is just a classic comfort food, can be made in a very healthful manner. You can cook the potatoes in chicken broth ... and then you add that broth back in as the moisture for the potatoes ... and they're very, very tasty."

You can also make our own soups and stews, says Schwartz -- just don't add too much salt. And homemade breads: Use half whole-wheat flour and half regular flour. You won't even notice a change in texture and taste. Portions are key as well. "It's about having three to four ounces of pot roast, not eight to twelve ounces of pot roast," says Schwartz.

What are your favorite comfort foods? And how do you keep them healthy?