Winter is a time of comfort foods. Unfortunately, comfort foods get a bad rap as being sickeningly sweet, loaded with fat, or a fried doughy mess. Let's give comfort food a break! Use these hacks to make your favorite pleasures more diet friendly. 

1. Skip the Butter - Use olive oil or coconut oil for sauteing ingredients for soups and stews. Not only will you save some fat from your dishes, these oils also add flavor and Vitamin E. 

2. Add Turmeric, Cinnamon, Cayenne, etc. - Adding spices to your winter favorites will not only enhance the flavor but also add health benefits. 

• Turmeric - Anti-inflammatory 
• Ginger - Aids in digestion, fights inflammation 
• Cayenne - boosts metabolism 
• Cumin - Aids in digestion
• Nutmeg - High in anti-oxidants, anti-fungal
• Cinnamon - Anti-oxidants shown to fight many ailments

3. Add More Veggies - Soups, stews, pot pies... You already add vegetables to the recipes. Why not add more? It is easy to make soups vegetarian by adding more beans or sweet potatoes instead of meat. 

4. Choose Meat Wisely - When selecting a meat get the leanest cuts or fat content possible. For example, when buying beef purchase 93% lean (or higher). You may want to try skipping meat all together and making a vegan meal by adding legumes and sweet potatoes.