Recipes and Tips for A Healthy Holiday Season

HEALTHY HOLIDAY RECIPES AND TIPS

Follow these tips and recipes to stay healthy, have fun and find joy (not stress) during the holiday season- starting with Thanksgiving this week, because we all know that turkey is not the issue!!!

TIPS:

1. Get your workout in first thing in the AM before everyone wakes up.  This will set a healthy tone for the day and you won’t find yourself making excuses not to workout later.
2. Bring a healthy dish to your get together, or host it and make numerous healthy options.
3. Fill your plate with turkey (sans the skin), amazing fall veggies and fresh fruit.
4. Pick out your one thing that you can’t wait for each year- like my grandmas cheesy potatoes. Have some but don’t go overboard.  You’ll feel satisfied but not bloated and uncomfortable (come on we’ve all been there!)
5. If you are eating in the late afternoon or evening, don’t skip your morning meals.  Eat them, but make sure they are healthy- again to set a healthy tone for the day and you won’t be starving when it’s dinner time.
6. Drink plenty of water during the day to stay hydrated.
7. If you are a “grazer” after eating your meal, chew some mint gum or brush your teeth and get out of the kitchen.
8. Have fun!  Focus on making and deepening your connections with your loved ones.  It’s not all about food, it’s about the quality time with others.  Play games, be inquisitive, go on a walk- find your joy!! 🙂
9. If you happen to go a little overboard, don’t get down on yourself.  Get right back at it the next day and keep working to meet your goals.

RECIPES: 

SWEET POTATO MASH

SERVINGS: 8

2 lbs SWEET POTATOES, PEELED AND CUBED

1/2 cup UNSWEETENED ALMOND MILK

2 Tbsp GREEK YOGURT, O% PLAIN

1/4 tsp CINNAMON

SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

1. BOIL WATER, ADD CUBED POTATOES AN COOK UNTIL TENDER.
2. DRAIN POTATOES AND ADD TO A FOOD PROCESSOR OR HIGH SPEED BLENDER. (OR KEEP IN POT AND DRAIN, THEN USE AN IMMERSION BLENDER.)
3. ADD THE MILK, GREEK YOGURT, CINNAMON, SEA SALT AND PEPPER TO THE BLENDER AND BLEND.
4. BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH.
5. MAKES 8 LARGE 1/2 CUP SERVINGS.

 MACROS: Protein: 2, Carbs: 18, Fat: 0.50 Calories: 84.50

 

BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

SERVINGS: 8

2 lbs BRUSSELS SPROUTS

SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

1/2 cup BALSAMIC VINEGAR

4 DATES, CHOPPED

1/2 cup SLICED ALMONDS

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES AND LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH FOIL AND SPRAY WITH COOKING SPRAY.
2. CUT THE ENDS OFF OF THE BURSSELS SPROUTS AND SLICE IN HALF. PLACE ONTO BAKING SHEET AND SEASON WELL WITH SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER. SPRAY WITH A QUICK SPRAY OF COOKING SPRAY, TOSS AND THEN ENSURE THEY ARE ON A SINGLE LAYER ON THE BAKING SHEET.
3. BAKE FOR 30-40 MINUTES, UNTIL THE EDGES ARE BROWNED AND CRISPY.
4. CHOP DATES AND THEN REMOVE THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS FROM THE OVEN.
5. ON THE STOVE, STIRRING OFTEN, BRING THE BALSAMIC VINEGAR TO A BOIL, THEN REDUCE AND SIMMER FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. IT WILL THICKEN, BE SURE TO STIR OFTEN.
6. WHEN READY TO EAT, TOP WITH THE DATES AND ALMOND AND PLACE BACK IN A 400 DEGREE OVEN FOR 5 MINUTES.
7. DRIZZLE WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION, OR PUT ON SERVINGS INDIVIDUALLY.

MACROS: Protein: 5, Carbs: 16, Fat: 5 Calories: 129

ORANGE-CRANBERRY SAUCE

SERVINGS: 8

12 oz FRESH CRANBERRIES

JUICE OF ONE ORANGE

ZEST OF ONE ORANGE

1/4 cup PURE MAPLE SYRUP (OR WALDEN FARMS IF SAVING CALORIES!)

1/2 cup WATER

dash CINNAMON

1. DUMP ALL INGREDIENTS INTO A SAUCE PAN ON THE STOVE AND COOK ON MEDIUM HEAT, STIRRING OFTEN.
2. COOK DOWN, UNTIL CRANBERRIES BURST FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
3. YOU CAN BLEND UP THE MIXTURE, IF YOU WANT IT CREAMY, OR LEAVE A FEW CHUNKS.
4. MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS OF 2TB EACH. IF YOU WANT IT A LITTLE SWEETER, ADD A BIT OF STEVIA (1 TB) AT A TIME.

MACROS: Protein: 0, Carbs: 9, Fat: 0 Calories: 36

 

COCONUT CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER BITES

SERVINGS: 24

 1 1/3 cup UNSWEETENED SHREDDED COCONUT

2 EGG WHITES

3 Tbsp STEVIA

8 OZ STEVIA SWEETENED CHOCOLATE (I LOVE LIBBY’S BRAND!)

1/2 cup ALMOND BUTTER

1/4 tsp VANILLA

dash SEA SALT

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES AND ALLOW EGG WHITES TO SIT OUT, REACHING ROOM TEMPERATURE.
2. SPRAY A MINI CUPCAKE PAN WITH COOKING SPRAY. (THIS IS IMPORTANT OR THEY WILL STICK!)
3. IN A BOWL, MIX THE SHREDDED COCONUT, STEVIA AND EGG WHITES UNTIL WELL COMBINED.
4. INTO EACH MUFFIN CUP, SPOON JUST UNDER 1 TB INTO EACH CUP. USING THE BACK OF THE TB SPOON, SMOOSH DOWN THE SPREAD MAKING IT INTO A CUP SHAPE.
5. BAKE FOR 12 MINUTES, UNTIL GOLDEN ON THE EDGES AND DRY IN THE MIDDLE.
6. REMOVE FROM OVEN AND ALLOW TO COOL FOR ABOUT 8 MINUTES. REMOVE AND STORE IN THE FRIDGE FOR UP TO 2 DAYS IN A CONTAINER WITH A TIGHT FITTING LID.
7. WHEN READY TO EAT, MELT THE STEVIA SWEETENED CHOCOLATE, ALMOND BUTTER, VANILLA AND SEA SALT IN A MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL. MELT FOR 45 SECONDS, THEN STIR. REPEAT UNTIL CREAMY.
8. PLACE THE FILLING INTO EACH OF THE COCONUT CUPS, ABOUT 2 TSP EACH.
9. MAKES 24 BITES. A SERVING IS 1 BITE.

MACROS: Protein: 3, Carbs: 13, Fat: 12 Calories: 172

 

PUMPKIN “NICE” CREAM

Servings: 8

1 cup PUMPKIN PUREE

2 cups UNSWEETENED ALMOND MILK

2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

1/2 cup STEVIA

1 tsp CINNAMON

1/2 tsp NUTMEG

1/8 tsp CLOVE

dash SEA SALT

8 BANANAS, FROZEN

1. FREEZE 8 BANANAS INDIVIDUALLY IN BAGGIES AFTER PEELING AND SLICING.
2. IN A SAUCE PAN ON THE STOVE, MIX THE MIX, STEVIA AND PUMPKIN ON MEDIUM HEAT. BRING TO A BOIL, STIRRING OFTEN, THEN REDUCE TO SIMMER.
3. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND ADD THE CINNAMON, NUTMEG VANILLA AND CLOVE.
4. ALLOW TO COOL, THEN PLACE INTO A CONTAINER WITH A LID AND STORE IN THE FRIDGE.
5. WHEN READY TO EAT, PLACE 1 FROZEN BANANA AND 1/4 CUP OF THE PUMPKIN MIXTURE INTO A HIGH SPEED BLENDER AND BLEND REALLY WELL, SCRAPING DOWN THE SIDES A TIME OR TWO AND BLENDING AGAIN.
6. EAT RIGHT AWAY FOR SOFT-SERVE OR FREEZE TO SCOOP.
7. A SERVING IS 1 FROZEN BANANA + 1/4 CUP OF THE PUMPKIN MIXTURE.

MACROS: Protein: 2, Carbs: 31, Fat: 1 Calories: 141

Eat Real Food.  Be Healthy.  Feel Amazing!