Use Healthy Substitutions/Alternatives

This does NOT mean you have to completely change your holiday traditions to be healthy. I know some of you were worried I was saying toss all the turkey and go for the tofu. Not at all. Example, we always have Thanksgiving at my parents house and yesterday I told my mom that I was going to be making a few different dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. She asked me why I was adding dishes and when I said I wanted to have a few healthy alternatives to things like the stuffing and sweet potato casserole she LOST.. HER.. MIND! “You can’t get RID of the stuffing!!” Shocked at the outburst I just told her I wasn’t planning to get rid of anything, just to make a few EXTRA dishes for people who may be really trying hard not to have half a plate of stuffing in order to stay on a health track. (Yes, I am speaking of myself. I love stuffing and I know I could fall victim to it as I am human and falter sometimes as well). After she realized I was not trying to kill Thanksgiving, she was much more willing to let me do what I want to do that day and I am very much looking forward to bringing some new treats to our Thanksgiving meal.

As for baking, it’s hard to always know what you can replace refined white sugar with but you would be surprised just how amazing your treats can taste when you use things like Dates, Honey (Try finding local honey), Raw Honey (which has a much higher nutritional value than regular honey), Agave, 100% Maple Syrup (which I have been using more frequently due to the fact that it has a richer taste and accents holiday treats a bit better) and brown rice sugar. Any of these will add so much flavor to your treats that you might even start to wonder why you’d be using refined white sugar in the first place. *Tip within the tip* If you are using any of these liquid sugars, remember to adjust the rest of the liquids in the recipes so your treats stay consistent. Try making a test batch before the big day to see how it will come out once adjusted.

Another way to substitute is to try using different flours besides white flour. Try using whole wheat flour. I have found that depending on what you bake, it can be a bit heavy so if you are worried about balance, you can start small. Take baby steps so you are still comfortable with what you are doing and do a combination of white and whole wheat until you feel good enough to switch over to just whole wheat. The way I used to use this method was if something called for 3 cups of flour I would use 2 cups whole wheat to 1 cup white. If it called for 2 cups, I’d use 1 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white. This way you are still getting more nutritional value and starting to get used to working with a heavier flour.If you want to steer clear of wheat all together there are several choices of gluten-free flours out there that will give your baking great flavor and consistency. I’ve used a few things like brown rice flour, quinoa flour, coconut fouler, almond flour. For a more detailed look into gluten-free baking you can look online to find a number of cookbooks as well as articles to help you better understand why someone would need or want to try gluten-free baking, as well as charts of substitutions. (i.e. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09376.html)

The point is to see what you can add or replace in your recipes to make them healthier while still tasting amazing! Don’t be afraid to step out of the box!

Avoid Showing Up to a Holiday Party On an Empty Stomach

Have you ever gone grocery shopping on an empty stomach and come home with WAY more food than you initially intended? Now you have more food you never meant to buy and you’re over budget. All because you were hungry and walking around food for an hour or so. This is the same concept. If you go to a holiday party on an empty stomach you are much more likely to splurge or give in to temptation.As for the people who like to play the game of not eating all day so they CAN splurge at the party… saving your calories so you’ll still have the same amount as you would have if you had eaten normal meals all day, isn’t going to work. You will end up eating things you wouldn’t normally eat, not to mention how you will feel before the party even began. Who wants to show up to a holiday party weak, lightheaded, tired and cranky? Starving yourself before a party can only do more damage than good.The best thing you can do is fill up on healthy foods before you go to the party. You’ll be in good spirits, have energy and you’ll be able to happily resist food that will probably make you crash and feel guilty later. Another version of this is having a small amount of healthy food so you will still be able to have some food there. If this is your preferred method then you should steer clear of the naughty party food like deviled eggs, spinach dip, fried food and anything on puff pastry. Instead go for the healthier, whole food, items like vegetable crudités, mixed nuts, smoked salmon, olives and pickles, caprese salad skewers, fruit. You can enjoy holiday parties but you’ll be feeling better when you make those healthier choices.Another thing that’s important to remember is that it’s OK to say no on a second helping or any foods you are trying to avoid. If you say no thank you and that you are trying to cutback on something, people will normally understand.

Tips 3 & 4