Comfort Food

Everybody has them -- and they're very personal. Elvis favored the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Oprah relies on sweet potatoes. Comfort foods. Foods that provide more than physical sustenance -- they're also like a warm fuzzy blanket for your soul. Yours might be mashed potatoes. Someone else might choose bacon and eggs. Or macaroni and cheese. One person's favorite may not even register with another.

A study by Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab shows that men and women differ in their preferred comfort food. "Males tended to prefer meal-related comfort foods, things like steak, hamburgers, pasta, casseroles and soup," says researcher Brian Wansink. Women, on the other hand, tend to reach for snack-related foods, such as potato chips, cookies and candy. Wansink attributes this to women's association of meal-type foods with preparation and cleanup, which they consider taking care of others, not themselves.

Unfortunately many comfort foods aren't very nutritious, so even though you are easing your stress, you're burdening your body with calories and fat. We all know what happened to Elvis!

This doesn't have to be the case, however. We've done makeovers on some favorite recipes to make them healthier, without losing the flavors that bring us that familiar, cozy comfort. Eliminating comfort foods for a healthier diet can be stressful. Diet experts agree that simple modifications help, such as substituting ground turkey for ground beef -- or using whole or low-fat milk instead of cream.

Meatloaf
Meat loaf seems to bring back happy memories for many people: childhood dinners, grandma's house, and simpler times. Try this healthy, easy version sliced and served with garlic mashed potatoes. Use leftovers to make sandwiches.