3 tasty, low-fat comfort foods perfect for fall

There's no need to feel guilty when indulging in comfort food. Why? Because there are plenty of ways to make it healthier. Here are three delicious, guilt-free recipes you should try the next time your soul needs feeding.

These cauliflower fritters take very little time to make and provide you with a crispy, scrumptious snack. The best part? Cauliflower is low in calories and tastes delicious plain, but with the right herbs and ingredients it shines!

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
• 1 finely minced garlic clove
• 3/4 cup of refrigerated, shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 70 grams cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• A fruit chutney

Preparation instructions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on high heat and add your cauliflower. Boil it for 4 to 6 minutes or until it's tender. Drain your cauliflower and then roughly chop it. You want to make the cauliflower pieces fine enough that you can compress them into a patty later on. Place it in a bowl and set it aside to cool.
2. Add flour, salt, pepper, hash browns, lemon, onion, garlic, cheese and eggs to your bowl of cooled cauliflower. Then mix the ingredients. A thick batter should form that you can make into patties. It should make between 8 to 10 patties depending on how large you want your fritters.
3. Add oil to a non-stick frying pan and cook your fritters over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.

Serve the fritters with your favourite fruit chutney for dipping and you're done!

Though we're dealing with carbs and cheese, there are simple ways to make this classic comforting dish much healthier without hurting its taste.

Ingredients

• 450 g whole grain pasta (for added nutrition and fibre)
• 450 ml  of one per cent milk
• 1/2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of plain two per cent Greek yogurt
• Kosher salt
• Ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 finely minced garlic
• 350 g of reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 30 g of whole wheat breadcrumbs (optional)

Preparation instructions

1. First, preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Boil pasta for approximately three to four minutes (but no longer than four minutes). Drain. Spray an oven-safe casserole dish with oil and add the pasta to this dish.
2. Add flour, milk and chicken broth together into the pot you used to cook the pasta. Cook over medium heat for approximately three minutes. Add in your spices and yogurt then cook for another four minutes or until heated throughout.
3. Add the cheese and cook until it is melted, three to five minutes. Pour your sauce over the pasta in the casserole dish and evenly distribute it.
4. If you're using breadcrumbs, now is the time to sprinkle them on top.
5. Place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Increase to a broil for the last 2 minutes, checking to make sure breadcrumbs don't burn.

Voilà! You now have a low-fat mac 'n cheese that tastes just like the real thing – maybe even better!

It's technically not a "comfort food" but it for sure is a comfort drink! This vegan hot chocolate is very easy to make, delicious and healthy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp. agave syrup
• Few drops of vanilla extract
• 25 g semi-sweet dark chocolate (dairy-free)
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• Coconut-flavoured whipped cream (optional, for the topping)
• Powdered or grated cinnamon

Preparation instructions

1. Pour the milk into a pot and heat it over medium heat for approximately a minute.
2. Add the agave syrup, cocoa powder and dark chocolate into the heated milk then stir. Heat your hot chocolate until it reaches the desired temperature.
3. Add a drop of vanilla extract and top with coconut whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.

You can still enjoy your favourite kinds of comfort foods without adding to your waistline. Try these healthed-up recipes and you'll be amazed at how good low-fat can taste.