Everyone has a favorite hearty dish — the kind where just a whiff of the aroma makes your stomach growl. Is it possible to have healthy comfort food?

“Food can bring back so many memories, especially classic comfort foods like chicken and dumplings,” says Janet Seiber, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “But often, comfort foods are high in fat and sodium, among other things, so it’s not something you’d want to eat often.”

If chicken and dumplings are one of your favorites, you can still enjoy this dish. Read on to learn how.

3 steps to lighten up your chicken and dumplings

Janet Seiber: When your goal is making a particular dish healthier, the challenge is preserving the taste. Fortunately, that’s possible with many foods, including chicken and dumplings. Here are a few ways that you can lighten it up:

1. Reduce the saturated fat

Use a split chicken breast instead of a whole chicken. Breast meat is lower in fat than dark meat. Removing the skin before cooking will reduce the fat further.

• Replace whole milk with 1% milk.
• Use oil instead of shortening.
• If your recipe calls for cream of chicken soup, use a reduced-fat version.

2. Reduce the sodium

• Add less salt. Start with using half of the salt that the recipe lists.
• Use kosher salt. Coarse salt has less sodium per teaspoon than table salt.
• Add low-sodium chicken broth to increase flavor without boosting the sodium level.

3. Cut back on carbohydrates

• Dice and sauté non-starchy vegetables to add to your dish. Try celery, carrots and onions to add color, flavor, and texture without lots of extra carbs.
• Watch your portion size.

Keep the recipe, change the sides

Janet Seiber: Sometimes you don’t want to change a recipe, especially if it’s one that’s been passed down. It’s fine to enjoy your grandma’s chicken and dumplings sometimes. You could eat a smaller serving, too.

You can also make your meal healthier by choosing healthier side dishes. Roasted vegetables, cooked greens, or a green salad or other non-starchy vegetables are good additions to your plate. Non-starch vegetables are lower in calories and carbohydrates and higher in fiber. Plus, they add color and flavor to your meal.

How to lighten up any dish

Janet Seiber: In general, when trying to make a heavy dish a little lighter, rely on these tips:

• Use a leaner protein.
• Use olive oil instead of butter.
• Use lower-fat dairy options like low-fat yogurt or sour cream in place of heavy cream.
• Use fresh herbs for flavor.
• Substitute broth for fat.

You can also “brighten up” a heavy dish by adding lemon or lime juice, or even a dash of vinegar.

There are also great online sources for healthier takes on most any dish you want to prepare. You can find recipes for salads, sides and main courses that are satisfying and healthy.

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Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.