Comfort food is back.

When things feel uncertain and unfamiliar, it’s natural to reach for what we know and understand, and many of us reach for food. If you find yourself craving comforting foods, don’t feel guilty. But even without the guilt, maybe you feel less than awesome after eating freezer meals and other pre-made grocery store comfort foods. All the extra sodium, refined sugar, and artificial ingredients will do that to you. 

Fortunately, there’s a healthier way to get your comfort food fix: make your own. Here are some of Thistle culinary team’s favorite vegetarian comfort food recipes. Some savory, some sweet, all comforting, and way healthier than what you’ll find on grocery store shelves. Bonus: the ritual of preparing your own food—unplugging from work or the endless news cycles to instead savor cooking’s smells, sights, and sounds—will provide an extra dose of comfort.

Favorite #1: Cinnamon French Toast

Warm bread + jammy syrup is an infallible combination (not to mention that it's also a great way to use up day old bread). In our recipe, we spice up the classic french toast with some cinnamon. Not only that, we also provide some alternative suggestions to turn this typically vegetarian comfort food into a completely vegan meal using flaxseed "eggs".

You can find this recipe here.

Favorite #2: Green Pesto & Veggie Lasagna

Our twist on lasagna features a superfood boost from moringa powder in the pesto sauce and reduces the usual amount of dairy via a cashew-based ricotta. To learn how to make this ultimate in vegetarian comfort food, find the recipe for our rich & herby lasgana here.

Favorite #3: Foolproof Pudding

A quick, easy & comforting snack that you can whip up in just a few minutes at any point during the day. We provide a base recipe here that you can customize to your heart's desire (be sure to try it with coconut sugar for an extra caramel-ly flavor!).

Favorite #4: Everything Goes Burrito Bowl

A great way to use up whatever you have in your pantry. The key here is to throw in a little bit of everything so you get a variety of textures & flavors. Top it all off with salsa or pico de gallo, and almost anything can be a burrito bowl! Find our easy & simple burrito bowl recipe here.