Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you have to give up everything that you love to eat. It's very easy to make simple swaps to classic comfort food meals to make them healthier and more nutritious. With just a little recipe tweaking you can still be able to enjoy more decadent meals without causing additional harm to your waistline. However, as with anything, it is important to pay attention to serving sizes: even if you make your mac and cheese slightly lower in fat and calories doesn't mean you can eat the whole pan without consequences. Check out some of these quick and easy swaps to make your meals healthier while still keeping them delicious. 

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Meatloaf 

If you're craving a good ol' fashion meatloaf with some mashed potatoes for dinner, consider swapping out the type of meat you use. Ground turkey is lower in calories and fat in comparison to classic beef or pork mixtures. This simple swap can save you a lot of calories and reduce your weekly intake of red meat. If you're feeling really fancy, you can even swap out the potatoes with a healthier side like roasted carrots or cauliflower. 

Bread Crumbs 

A lot of comfort foods come with delicious embellishments like bread crumbs. Cut carbs and save calories by grinding up oats to use instead. You'll still get the texture of bread crumbs without actually having them in your dish. If you're not a fan of oats, give sprouted grain bread crumbs a try.  

Brownies

Butter is used in a lot of baking recipes and can add a lot of fat and calories to an already fattening and caloric dish. Try using blended avocado as an easy butter swap in brownies. The consistency and texture will remain the same but there will be a healthy fat in your dessert too. 

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is delicious, but you usually can only eat a small serving without going over your calorie budget for the day. Bring back the mac in your life by adding butternut squash to the recipe. While you won't completely get rid of the cheese, swapping out most of it for this creamy gourd will aid in making it healthier -- but just as delicious!  

Pizza

Ordering pizza on a Friday night is tempting, but it can also wreck your healthy eating plans. Keep your love of pizza in check (while still being able to indulge) by using cauliflower for the crust instead. This cuts out all carbs and leaves you with an extra serving of vegetables. Just don't go overboard on the toppings! 

Grilled Cheese

There's nothing better than grilled cheese on a lazy night. Swap our your carb-heavy bread with sweet potatoes instead to enjoy your sandwich guilt-free.