We work hard all year to maintain our health and fitness goals whatever they may be. Avoid being tempted to undo all good and let your health become second to the lure of Christmas festivities. Indulging is a healthy part of life and is only realistic; strict limitations do no body or mind any favours. However, it is possible to continue your health goals during the festive season and find nutrition in the festivities.
Below are my top tips to keep on the health bandwagon and take the stress out of “bringing a dish”, including healthy ways to decorate dishes in the most nutritious and delicious fashion.
Focus on Fruit
Avoid any sugar hangover and find sweetness from fruit, fruit not only brings sweetness to desserts but also provides a good dose of anti-oxidants and fibre:
- Try poached pears as a dessert; they’re delicious warm or cold served with yoghurt
- Make banana ice-cream to serve with Christmas classics such as pudding:
- All it takes is blending frozen bananas in a food processor until they resemble the texture of ice-cream
- Replace ½ the sugar in recipes with mashed banana or dried fruit
- Indulge and purchase fresh berries – serve with yoghurt and a sprinkle of spiced granola for crunch, this is enough to satisfy any sweet craving
- Christmas is mango season; make the most of it and try grilled mango cheeks with banana ice cream and a squeeze of lime – what more could you ask for?
New Twists on Old Classics
Old classics may be tradition in your household, but it’s possible to improve on the old in new exciting ways that will be sure to get the nod from the old and young:
- Instead of using cream, top pavlova with whipped coconut cream and seasonal fruit
- Place a can of coconut cream in the fridge the night or a few hours before required, open and skim off solid cream into a bowl, whip like cream adding a touch of maple syrup or raw honey
- Make “”bliss balls” the new truffles
- Use Christmas as your time to show off your favourite high-protein treats or try my Frozen Mint Cacao Chia Balls (recipe below) – guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!
- Make classic custard from scratch using good quality milk, eggs and maple syrup, this provides a nutrient dense decadent addition to desserts
- White Christmas is a favourite in most households and especially with kids, but is loaded with unhealthy fat and sugar – try a healthier version using puffed quinoa, coconut oil and goji berries
- Tempt the table with avocado mousse instead of traditional chocolate mousse – you will have everybody fooled!
- Simply blend avocado, banana, raw cacao, water and maple syrup
- Puttraditional trifle to rest and instead try chia pudding made using Vitasoy’s Unsweetened Coconut Milk layered with fresh mango puree – it has 1?2 the calories of lite milk~ and just 55 calories per serve. Plus it’s made using real coconut cream and contains calcium.
- Christmas and panna cotta go hand in hand, so try my Vitasoy Almond Milk Unsweetened and yoghurt panna cotta as an alternative (recipe below) – I love this Almond Milk as it’s made using Australian grown, non-GM whole almonds and has 98% less sugar than lite dairy milk~.
Simple Swaps
If time is of the essence on Christmas day and you’re well versed in the kitchen, simple swaps may be all you’re after:
- Swap refined white sugar for raw honey or maple syrup
- Use coconut oil to “set” dishes as opposed to butter
- Swap refined white flour for hazelnut, flaxmeal or buckwheat flour
- Replace a “dollop” of cream with a dollop of full-fat luscious natural yoghurt
- Make beans your binder – cannelloni beans, chickpeas and red kidney beans are not only delicious, but are also a fibre-rich addition to biscuits and cakes
Finding Joy
Christmas isn’t a time for guilt, whether we indulge or not. Christmas is a time to celebrate and share the love of food with close family and friends. Show your love for food, health and others by putting a healthy spin on your Christmas favourites – you will be sure to find the joy of Christmas and good health will follow!
(Links to recipes)
Recipe: Vitasoy Almond Milk Unsweetened Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Pomegranate and Almonds
Recipe: Frozen Mint Cacao Chia Balls
~ Based on dairy milk with 1% fat containing 51 calories and 6.1g total sugars per 100mL (NUTTAB 2010)
