No matter what holiday you celebrate, the winter months are a time filled with family, gifts, and lots of yummy foods. However, this time can be tough for people trying to maintain nutrition goals. To help you feel your best this season, try these delicious and nutritious holiday superfoods swaps.
1. DIY Cranberry Sauce
Store bought cranberry sauce can be filled with extra sugar and additives that you might want to steer clear off. Instead, you can make your own cranberry sauce at home!
Follow this recipe below!
Ingredients:
1 bag cranberries
½ cup brown sugar *note: to lower the sugar content, swap the sugar for another non-caloric sweetener like stevia or monk fruit*
¾ cup water
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange zest
½ tsp cinnamon
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes until the cranberries pop and turn to your desired consistency.
2. Bone Broth Gravy
Bone broth has gained a lot of popularity this year and for a good reason. Bone broth is rich in important minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin which have been shown to be beneficial for improving joint and bone health. Adding bone both to the base of your gravy is an easy way to get an added nutrient boost in your holiday meal! Check out this Organic Gluten Free Beef Bone Broth Gravy recipe from Beauty & the Broth:
Ingredients:
1 pt of beef bone broth concentrate
Sea salt
2-3 tsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp butter
Black pepper
Thyme
Directions:
1. Put 2 tbsp of butter into a skillet and melt at low heat
2. Add the 2-3 tsp of tapioca flour into the melted butter and stir together
3. Add in 1 pt of our beef bone broth concentrate and mix together
4. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of thyme
5. Sprinkle in salt and pepper
6. If you want a thicker gravy, feel free to add in more tapioca flour
3. Dairy Free Eggnog
The classic holiday drink, upgraded! Swapping for soy or almond milk will make the drink lower in calories, sugar, and saturated fat. To make life easy you can buy this premade option from Silk. However, If you want to make it from scratch try this recipe below
Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk or soy milk (my favorite is Silk)
1 egg
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tbsp honey
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender until frothy. Put eggnog mix into a small pan and heat up on low heat for 15-20 minutes stirring frequently. (the mixture should NOT bubble/boil as that will scramble the eggs). Chill overnight to thicken, and enjoy!
4. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
For a lower carb, but still delicious side dish, try cauliflower mashed “potatoes”. By adding in the cauliflower you’ll be getting a boost of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K. There are lots of pre-made mashed cauliflower products in the freezer aisle of the grocery store, but you can also make it at home using the recipe below -
Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
2 tbsp cream cheese or vegan butter
Any additional toppings/seasonings you like (garlic, green onions, salt pepper etc)
Directions:
Chop up cauliflower into florets and add to boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes.
Drain and put cauliflower back into the warm pan covered with a lid for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cream cheese and other desired ingredients to the cauliflower. Then, use a fork, potato masher or food processor to combine all the ingredients to your desired consistency.
Add additional ingredients to garnish as desired & enjoy!
5. Greek Yogurt Based Dip
Greek yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium and is filled with gut friendly probiotics. What's even better is that it makes for a perfect healthier swap for sour cream based dips. You can mix greek yogurt with your favorite herbs and lemon juice and pair it with roasted fall veggies.
6. Baked Apples
Want that sweet taste of pie without all the extra sugar? Make a baked apple dish. This super easy dessert will satisfy your sweet tooth without the sugar crash later on.
Ingredients:
4 apples
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecan
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
½ cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Remove core of apples (cut the center of the apples about ½ way down to remove seeds/center)
Add apples to a greased baking dish.
Combine walnuts, spices, & melted coconut oil in a mixing bowl.
Add nut mixture to the cored center of the 6 apples.
Add water to the bottom of the baking dish and cover the dish with foil.
Bake for 25 minutes
Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the apples are tender
Serve with low fat whipped cream & enjoy!
Bottom line: Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to skip all your favorite meals and only eat salad. There are plenty of ways to revamp traditional holiday dishes while still meeting your nutrition goals. Share with us which of these swaps you’ll try in the comments!