How many times have you decided to eat something that’s not a usual part of your diet, not because you were looking to splurge a bit but because you wanted “comfort” food?

How many times has that turned into dis-comfort food because you ate something you had excluded from your diet for a very good reason?

For me, that would be foods containing gluten or high concentrations of sodium.
Neither of those makes my body feel very good so the moments of enjoyment are often followed by hours of regret.

That’s not a good trade!

Well, I could just do the “ecstasy and the agony two-step” or I can develop new comfort foods. Yes, I most certainly do prefer the latter approach.

I’ve found that there are many gluten-free recipes for everything from breads to desserts to pizza crusts (even some far healthier vegetable-based “crusts”).

As for the sodium bombs, it’s all about finding spices that provide a great “punch” without resorting to the fast and easy of adding more salt.
I’ve found that spices like smoked paprika, finely-ground fresh tarragon, summer savory, fresh sage, and lemon thyme simply burst with flavor and uniqueness for my palate.

I’ve also found that texture is a big component of comfort food.
For some people that means smoothness, for others, chunky, and yet others crunchy.

A good food processor (rather than a typical blender) can work wonders with that smooth texture.
Likewise, paying attention to the relative cooking times of different vegetables can allow you to have a dish that has great flavors which meld well and still retains a pleasing consistency across a variety of foods.
Lastly, raw vegetables and nuts are often great additions to dishes to provide that crunch appeal.