In a pinch, it's only natural to turn to comfort food for a quick, easy meal.

Unfortunately, whipping up a bowl of instant ramen doesn't count as cooking, and eating an entire box of Kraft macaroni and cheese in one sitting won't do a body good.

But there are ways to make your childhood favorites a little more nutritious, by making your own seasoning, cutting down the sodium content, and adding veggies and protein.

Below are tips from Fix.com on how to upgrade some tried-and-true dishes, because we all need a big bowl of mac & cheese every now and again.