You can enjoy traditional holiday feasts without ruining your diet, calories, or macros. Just try one or two of these healthy swaps to see how you like cooking with them and how your family & friends enjoy them at the big meal.
Heck, you could even incorporate a few moving forward into the new year. You might even start preferring some of these to the “normal” ingredients.
These are so tasty no one will notice. And so healthy, you wonder why you didn’t start earlier.
- Use olive oil instead of butter for a healthier fat when sautéing or roasting.
- Substitute zucchini noodles for pasta. You’ll be serving fewer carbs, fewer calories, and more veggies.
- Instead of traditional stuffing, try quinoa. It’s a whole grain that adds protein and nutrients.
- Try vegetable broth for gravy, and add sautéed onions, mushrooms, and garlic for flavor.
- Fresh fruit is a delightful, natural sub for sugary desserts.
- Drop the salt. Season food with herbs, spices, and citrus zest instead.
- Almond flour instead of refined white flour – for flavor and nutritional punch.
- Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate for less sugar and more antioxidants.
- Coconut milk in place of heavy cream is dairy free and lower in saturated fat.
- Avocado in dips and spreads, not mayo. It brings less saturated fat and more heart-healthy monounsaturated fats to the table.
Let us know what you think, and share your own healthy tips.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.