Indeed. It is that time of year. Families gathering around large tables of tempting food. Grandma’s greens, Aunt Doris’s dressing or cousin Carol’s cake, all of the foods we don’t get throughout the year that we feel like we should eat because it’s the holiday season, right? And then we feel all the guilt from stuffing our face like it was the turkey. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are several different ways to avoid feeling overstuffed or guilty from the foods you eat during the holidays. I shared a few of these during Labor Day and I decided to share again with a few recipes to check out!
1. Eat before you go—This has been the biggest help to me when I head home for holiday meals. I do my best to stay away from the tasty, not so healthy, dishes that my family does an amazing job of cooking. It is really hard to fight temptation when it is staring you in the face. I have started to have one of my filling smoothies right before I head to the big meal. My own recipe is a handful of greens (I like spinach), 1 cup of frozen blueberries, a scoop of peanut butter, Chocolate Complete, and coconut water. I blend it up in my NutriBullet and I’m good to go! If you haven’t joined the smoothie train just yet, pick something out that you love to eat that can be somewhat filling to you AND is healthy. If you have already eaten something that is healthy, having some of the guilty pleasure side dishes at the main meal won’t be as tempting since you will have already eaten. There are plenty more smoothie recipes that are FREE to download here, as well as other healthy meal recipes! Check out the Complete Creations recipe book at https://healthylivingrevolution.com/revolution-recipes-cookbook/
2. Take a healthy option to the meal—Bring a side dish that you love and that you know you won’t feel guilty eating 2 or more servings of. It will also give the rest of the family a healthy option to eat. This cute turkey vegetable is not only festive, but also a healthy option! https://www.food.com/recipe/thanksgiving-turkey-veggie-tray-267386
If you are vegan, here is a great vegan dip option that you can use! Don’t tell your guests and I bet they won’t know the difference!
If you are searching for a dessert, I have a great one for you! This crustless apple pie is amazing!! It is gluten free and you can make it dairy free by substituting the butter with vegan butter, a nondairy ice cream and use coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar to keep out the unwanted sugar!
3. Drink plenty of water—If your family is like mine, we say the meal will be at 2 pm and in reality, it can end up being 3 or 4 pm before we really dig in. If you took my suggestion of eating before going, you may start to get hungry by the time the food is actually ready. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. I have stated before that more often than not our bodies are dehydrated and not hungry. A key component of ensuring that you drink water is to have your own water bottle with you. You can refill it any time and you are also helping the planet out by drinking out of a reusable water bottle.
The holidays are not about being perfect. They are about enjoying yourself yet staying true to yourself and the healthy journey you are on. I hope you found these helpful and as always share with a friend!!
Keep exploring!
Comments