Cold-weather dining often means cozy comfort foods that fill out our winter sweaters. Seasonal super foods, though, are the answer. They help with slimming down, squashing cravings (especially all the hearty varieties of winter squash) and tempting the taste buds.

Acorn squash, sugar pumpkin and sweet potatoes are excellent cooked as is, but adding a few other seasonal adornments, such as pomegranate seeds, dried figs and baked pears create special dishes that are do-gooders for your health. All ingredients are to taste.

SWEETENED SQUASH

Roast individual serving size pieces of acorn squash. For last 10 minutes, carefully add dollops of cilantro, pomegranate seeds and honey.

TOAST TO MAKE YOU FEEL TOASTY

Toast whole-grain raisin bread and spread with almond butter, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and top with extremely thin slices of unpeeled fresh pears.

SWEET POTATO GRANOLA

Make slight slits in sweet potatoes, wrap in aluminum foil and bake until soft. Carefully slice the skins, remove potatoes, place in bowl and mash with a small amount of butter, brown sugar and allspice. Use as a topping for store-bought or homemade granola.

TEMPTING TUNA SANDWICH

Prepare drained and flaked canned albacore light tuna mixed with finely chopped celery, dried figs, unpeeled red apples, a small amount of mayonnaise, freshly ground black pepper and ground cloves. Serve on toasted rye bread.

HAM CANDIED WITH SUPER FOODS

Before baking ham, spread with a thin layer of orange marmalade, and secure firmly into the top of the ham whole cloves and pieces of candied ginger. Serve slices of ham atop packaged slaw you've mixed with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, segments of drained mandarin oranges and freshly ground black pepper.

PUMPKIN WITH PIZZAZZ

Mix canned (with no added ingredients) pumpkin with dried cranberries, chopped unpeeled red apple, ground cinnamon and nutmeg and thoroughly heat. Use as a dip for graham crackers (a good choice since they are whole grain and contain fiber).

AFTER-WORK GOURMET COOKBOOK SHELF

Simplifying your cooking is a worthy culinary goal of any New Year. Diana Henry is a master of such finesse, as is on display in "Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavors." As is a hallmark of some of the world's best cuisines (such as Italian and dishes emerging from Hong Kong), combination of well-chosen ingredients is key to use just a few and end up with dishes that still combust into fireworks. Simple sauces sometimes help do the trick, as do easy techniques, like caramelizing onions or roasting cauliflower. Just the right addition works wonders, too, like a tablespoon of sake in an egg dish.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.