The memories of those sticky sweet indulgences take us back to our childhoods or keep us company when we're blue, but consuming these traditional comfort foods can often times be less healthy than they are delicious. Take heart, serving up these traditional comfort foods doesn't have to mean taking a risk with your health. If you crave comfort foods but seek to be more health conscious in your choices, consider these healthy alternatives to the traditional recipes.

When making homemade macaroni and cheese, substitute whole wheat elbow macaroni in place traditional elbow pasta. Whole wheat pasta is a delicious source of whole grain nutrients. Boil pasta in organic chicken stock for added flavor and substitute low-fat cheese. Use non-fat or 1% milk and leave out the raw egg. Never include mix-ins such as ham or bacon, which add unnecessary calories and fat to an already rich and rewarding dish. Finally, consider smaller portions. Macaroni and cheese makes an excellent side dish to a healthy main course such as lean pork or turkey roast.

Foods such as meatloaf are delicious, but can be greasy. Using ground turkey or lean ground beef can reduce the greasiness of this savory main course. Rather than cooking meatloaf in a baking dish where it's able to stew in its own oils, cook it in a roasting pan on a rack to allow the grease to drip off and be discarded. A quick and easy way to make ground turkey taste like ground beef is to include two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce per pound of meat.

A Smashing Substitute

Mashed potatoes are delicious, but are often unhealthy due to the inclusion of milk and butter. Consider using low or non-fat milk, rather than whole or buttermilk. Leave the skins on the potatoes as they are an excellent source of nutrients while giving mashed potatoes a beautiful, full consistency. Use pepper or Mrs. Dash, but never salt, to season mashed potatoes. Finally, use margarine in mashed potatoes, rather than butter.

It's OK To Chicken Out

Fried chicken is one of the most commonly recognized comfort foods. When frying chicken, use low or non-fat milk rather than buttermilk and bread chicken with ground cornflakes rather than flour. Consider oven frying chicken as a healthy alternative to pan frying and when pan frying always use oils low in saturated fats such as canola, soybean or sunflower oils.

When making chocolate chip cookies, an all-time favorite comfort food, substitute white flour for well-sifted wheat flour. Wheat flour is an excellent source of whole grain nutrients. Use only egg white or egg substitute, rather than the whole egg. Consider using a sugar substitute such as Splenda for baking in place of sugar and use miniature chocolate chips in place of regular chips. Oatmeal and raisins or mashed banana are excellent, healthy, additions to chocolate chip cookies. Use a cookie scoop to control the portions and size of the cookies.

Get Some Flax Quick Tip: Add flax seeds to baked goods, meat loafs, and breading for fried foods. They add a slightly nutty flavor and are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed is an excellent source of fiber, whole grain nutrients, and is believed to lower bad cholesterol, protect against heart disease, and battle certain cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. One tablespoon of ground flax seed and three tablespoons of water can be used as a replacement for one egg as it will bind the ingredients together. These are just a few great solutions to enjoy comfort food favorites without compromising your health.