12 Most Fattening Comfort Foods Of Winter (#9 Has Got to Go!)

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2. Tummy-Warming Drinks

Is there anything more heartwarming than flavored lattes, hot chocolate, eggnog, hot toddies, and apple cider? These are super delish, to be sure, but they also pack anywhere from 200 to 450 mostly empty calories you don’t need. Try herbal teas flavored with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg or hot green tea.

3. Delish Cookies

From pumpkin spice cookies to ginger snaps, shortbread cookies to Christmas cookies, enjoying one cookie occasionally isn’t a real problem. An average 2-ounce cookie only has about 200 calories, more or less, but the danger lies in thinking we can eat just one, especially when there is an assortment of them to choose from. Also, many holiday cookies (like the ones decorated to look like Santa that are the size of a DVD) can have as many as 600 calories! The best option here is to try to split a large cookie into three or four servings, or split a cookie with a friend and then walk away from the cookie table!

4. Scrumptious Pies

No one can resist a mouthwatering winter pie. Although most pies start off pretty good, we turn a peach pie into a disaster with whip cream on top or ice cream on the side. We aren’t suggesting that you skip grandma’s pumpkin pie this Christmas. When it comes to pies, try to avoid most of the crust, get a small piece, and opt for a very small dollop of whipped cream or skip the topping altogether.

5. Warming Chili and Stews

These warm, hearty meals can be a great choice if you make them yourself. Most chilies and stews use tons of sausage or ground beef and tons of cheese. For example, a typical restaurant bowl of chili with cheese runs in the area of 500 calories and 15 grams of saturated fat. You can make your own for about half of those amounts by using lean cuts of meat (or substituting beans for meat), using lots of vegetables, and just a sprinkle of cheese. If you are out and about, believe it or not, Wendy’s makes a pretty good cup of chili with about 220 calories and only 203 grams of saturated fat, providing you skip the cheese and crackers, of course.

6. Comforting Casseroles

These are the old standbys when it comes to quick meals in the winter. Many people like assembling their casserole the night before, then they only need to pop it in the oven for 30 or 45 minutes when they get home. Who doesn’t love a hash brown casserole, topped with a thick layer of hot, gooey cheese? Creamed, au gratin, or scalloped dishes are so tasty, but they are also loaded with unhealthy ingredients such as fried breadcrumbs, sour cream, bacon, cream, and butter, and you are talking some serious calories. That hash brown casserole can have as much as 560 calories and 21 grams of saturated fat! Look online for makeover recipes of your favorite casserole to cut back on calories and fat.

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