The comfort foods to lift your mood: These dishes will make you happy without piling on the pounds 

When anxiety or loneliness strike, do you find yourself reaching for a leftover Easter egg to cheer yourself up? 

Many people turn to food to boost a low mood — particularly now that we are confined to our homes with treats on hand, calling from the fridge or cupboard to tempt us. There are good scientific reasons for this. 

Eating chocolate, in particular, releases several brain chemicals that have a positive effect on our emotions. 

These include serotonin (a general mood-lifter) and endorphins (known to decrease levels of pain and stress), says Ray Kaur, an expert nutritionist at WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers. 

On the other hand, there’s also growing evidence that an unhealthy diet can actually contribute to depression.

‘A lot of our members recognise that when you eat rubbish, you feel rubbish — and studies show that eating junk food regularly can lead to feelings of depression. 

‘This is because these foods lack vital nutrients for brain development, including omega 3 fatty acids (found in oily fish) and vitamin B12 (found in leafy greens),’ says WW head of programme Julia Westgarth. 

‘This is why it’s so important to fuel your body and mind with the right foods,’ she adds. But what you choose to eat is only part of the story. 

‘It’s also important to see good food as something to be enjoyed and savoured — whatever the circumstances. 

‘Take time to enjoy a leisurely weekend breakfast and set the table nicely for supper from time to time. It will all help to lift your spirits,’ advises Julia. 

Today, as we continue our exclusive WW series to help you navigate the extraordinary challenges of lockdown and take care of your physical and mental wellbeing, we’re looking at tempting, healthier ways to make mealtimes an occasion to enjoy. 

You could get the day off to a good start by sitting down to a tangy slice of avocado, lime and feta on toast or dipping into a lusciously creamy purple smoothie bowl. 

Or how about a happy trip down memory lane that sees you whipping up healthier, WW versions of childhood favourites for supper, such as comforting chocolate bread and butter pudding? 

Better still, not only will our WW recipes and snacks brighten your day, but they’ll also help you to lose unwanted extra pounds. Weight gain can be a depressing result of life in lockdown for those of us who’ve found the temptation of sweet foods and takeaways hard to resist.

‘Take a little time each day to nurture yourself with good food that will benefit your mind and body’ says Julia. 

‘This will not only help your general health but also boost your morale to know you are actively making your own wellbeing a priority.’ 

Avocado, lime and feta toast 

 Prep time 5 minutes 

 Cook time 3 minutes

Serves 1 

80g avocado, peeled and stone removed 

1 tbsp 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt 

Juice of ½ lime 

1 slice WW Soft Malted Danish Bread 

20g light feta

1 tsp snipped fresh chives

In a small bowl, roughly mash the avocado with the yoghurt and lime juice, then season to taste. Toast the bread and spread over the mashed avocado. Crumble over the feta and scatter over the chives before serving. 

Chocolate bread and butter pudding

Prep time 15 minutes  

Cook time 35 minutes

Serves 6 

9 slices WW Soft Malted Danish bread, lightly toasted 

25g low-fat spread

3 large eggs 

3 tbsp light hot chocolate powder 

1 tbsp cocoa powder 

2 tsp agave syrup 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

200ml unsweetened almond milk 

25g dark chocolate chips 

Preheat the oven to 160c/fan 140c/gas 3. Spread each slice of toast with a little of the spread and cut in half diagonally. Whisk together the eggs, hot chocolate powder, cocoa powder, agave syrup, vanilla and almond milk in a jug until smooth. Arrange the toast in a small baking dish then pour over the chocolate custard mixture and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Scatter over the chocolate chips then bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through. Serve warm. 

Bibimbap

Prep time 10 minutes 

Cook time 15 minutes

Serves 4

125g long-grain rice 

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 

150g carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks 

120g shiitake mushrooms, sliced l 1 large courgette, diced 

200g beansprouts 

200g young-leaf spinach 

250g turkey breast mince 

1 tbsp soy sauce 

1 tbsp rice vinegar 

4 eggs 

2 tbsp chilli sauce, to serve

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a pan; cover with 250ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat for 5 minutes. Fluff up the grains of rice with a fork. Meanwhile, heat half the sesame oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon. Stir-fry the courgette and beansprouts for 3-4 minutes, then return the carrots and mushrooms to the wok. Stir in the spinach to wilt, then season to taste. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in another frying pan and cook the turkey over a medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar and cooked veg. Poach the eggs in a pan of simmering water for 2-3 minutes for a slightly runny yolk. Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Top with the veg and turkey, an egg and a drizzle of chilli sauce. 

Purple smoothie bowl 

Prep time 5 minutes 

Serves 1

50g frozen mixed berries 

1 medium banana 

250ml unsweetened almond milk 

1 tsp acai powder 

2g chia seeds, dry 

2g flaxseed (linseed) 

Blitz the frozen berries, banana, almond milk and acai powder in a blender. Top with extra berries, a sprinkling of chia and flaxseed. 

 

 

Smoky tomato soup with pitta 

Prep time 10 minutes 

Cook time 15 minutes 

SERVES 4

Calorie-controlled cooking spray 

1 onion, finely diced 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

2 tbsp tomato purée 

2 tsp smoked paprika 

¼ tsp cayenne pepper 

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 

250ml vegetable stock, made using 1 stock cube 

1 tsp runny honey 

4 x 60g wholemeal pittas 

Mist a large pan with cooking spray and place on a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook together for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the tomato purée, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Cook for another minute until the purée has darkened slightly and the mixture smells fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and honey, and stir well to combine. Lower the heat and continue to cook for 5 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Meanwhile, toast the pittas and slice in half. Using a food processor or a stick blender, partially blitz the soup so that it’s still a little chunky. You can blitz all the way if you prefer a smoother texture. Season the soup to taste, then divide between four bowls. Serve, sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and a toasted pitta on the side. 

Cinnamon & orange hot chocolate

Prep time 5 minutes + infusing 

Cook time 5 minutes 

Serves 2

400ml skimmed milk 

1 cinnamon stick 

4 strips fresh orange peel, washed 

2 tbsp cocoa powder 

14g icing sugar 

2 tsp cornflour  

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Bring almost to the boil, turn off the heat, then cover the pan and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder, icing sugar and cornflour together in a small bowl. When ready, remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick from the milk and place the saucepan back, uncovered, over a medium heat. Stir the cocoa mixture into the milk and whisk gently for 2-3 minutes until it thickens. To serve, divide between two mugs and garnish with extra orange peel, if you like. 

Carrot cake snack bites 

Makes 25 

Prep time 20 minutes 

Makes 25

12 pitted medjool dates 

50g porridge oats

50g pecans, roughly chopped

70g carrot, grated 

1 tbsp chia seeds 

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

25g desiccated coconut 

Place the dates in a large bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to soak for 10 minutes, until slightly softened. Drain, then transfer the dates to a food processor. Add the porridge oats, pecans, carrot, chia seeds, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Blitz until smooth, then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll the chilled mixture into 25 balls using a small spoon, then roll in the desiccated coconut to serve. The snack bites will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.