In trying to reduce – or at least control – sugar in my diet, I find it works best to keep a little sweetness on the menu. I’m proud to say I’m at least 12 months’ Krispy Kreme-free; instead, I like to indulge in an occasional piece of Double-Bubble sour apple bubble gum. The sugar-free Werther’s caramel hard candies I keep in a bowl on my desk also are great when I need a smidge of the sweet stuff.

But come on, people, moderation in moderation. And next week brings Valentine’s Day, when many of us like to treat our sweeties – and be treated – to chocolate.

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Other than my occasional indulgence in a heap of crispy French fries, I’ve never been a big fan of white potatoes. It isn’t that they aren’t healthy; baked or boiled, they’re a fine source of potassium and fiber. I just find them bland unless they’re fried, covered in ketchup or bathed in butter and sour cream – definitely not healthy.

That’s why these recipes, in the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, caught my eye: These healthful mashes will sate your comfort-food cravings without wrecking your waistline.

No offense, Mr. Potato Head, but you're just a little boring.

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It chagrins me that I missed several of January’s colorful holidays, including those celebrating stellar foods: January 6 is Bean Day; January 19, National Popcorn Day; January 22, National Blonde Brownie Day; and – especially close to my Iowa heart – January 24, Eskimo Pie Patent Day, in honor of schoolteacher/candy store owner Christian Kent Nelson, who invented that tasty chocolate-and-ice-cream concoction in 1920 in Onawa, Iowa. Today, incidentally, is Punch the Clock Day and Thomas Crapper Day, the latter in honor of the man who invented the flush toilet.

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Winter is a great time for comfort food. But that doesn’t have to mean the heavy, fat-filled stuff you’ll regret eating when it’s time to put your swimsuit on. Think of comfort dishes instead as body-and-soul-nourishing recipes full of flavor, nutrition and tastebud delights. I especially like these recipes, provided by DMU Wellness Director Joy Schiller, M.S., CHES: The soup provides multiple servings as a great treat on cold winter days, and the biscotti are a guilt-free indulgence with my morning coffee.

Southwestern chicken soup

Soup is an ideal winter comfort food.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

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I love recipes with secret ingredients – components that no one would suspect. I once surprised my workmates with a batch of pork and bean bars that indeed contained an entire can of Van Camp’s but tasted like lusciously moist pumpkin bars (don’t look for the recipe here; those bars definitely don’t fit in the “healthy cooking” category).

Another favorite mystery-ingredient concoction is USA Weekend columnist Jean Carper’s high-protein torte, perfect for adding legumes to your diet, pleasing people who eat gluten-free, and for tricking kids and other finicky eaters to consume garbanzos in happy oblivion. You can moderate the calories by using Splenda instead of sugar and non-fat cream cheese for the icing, or substitute the icing with light whipped cream.

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Much of the oatmeal America eats is manufactured in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, by Quaker Oats, which has declared January – all 31 days – National Oatmeal Month.

I’m a granola freak, but I don’t like spending an arm and a leg for the store-bought versions that are typically loaded with fat, sugar and sodium. Fortunately, it’s easy (and healthier) to make your own granola, and it’s very forgiving – unless you, say, forget to take it out of the oven, you really can’t screw it up.

Celebrate National Oatmeal Month with some great granola.

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