Create Healthier Holiday Food

In a world faced with uncertainties, we crave our holiday traditions now more than ever. We want to embrace what is familiar. What is comforting is a table filled with family, friends, laughter, and food from recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. These recipes and traditions can be such a stabilizing part of our lives.

And yet, some of these foods use ingredients or cooking techniques that may not be as healthy as we might desire. Eating these foods doesn’t always make our body feel at its best. So, I thought I would provide you with a few ingredient or food choice tips which you can substitute to make some family recipes or dishes that are healthier to enjoy, and which also promote optimum health during the holiday season.

Potatoes are a nutrient-rich comfort food, but most people have traditionally used white potatoes, since there weren’t many other choices at the grocery store, and since this was what they were used to eating. However, a healthier choice when preparing a potato dish would be to consider using sweet or purple sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are delicious and high in fiber and beta-carotene. Kansas State University has been studying the potential health benefits of the purple sweet potato and its anti-cancer properties. Purple sweet potatoes typically contain unusually high amounts of anthocyanin, which is a powerful anti-cancer pigment. Anthocyanins can be red, blue or purple depending on the food’s chemical structure. (These anthocyanins of blue, red, and purple color pigment can also be found in many colorful fruits, like blueberries, black raspberries, and red grapes.) Anthocyanins are known to have antiangiogenic properties. (Angiogenesis means the growth of new blood vessels. Anti-angiogenic means that it stops tumors from growing their own blood vessels.)  As I often state, the antioxidants are the color pigment of the food.

These dark purple, blue, and red foods also contain phenols. Phenols are organic compounds naturally occurring in certain foods, that have anti-aging and antioxidant components.  Additionally, an American Chemical Society study found that eating purple potatoes may lower blood pressure.

For a healthy stuffing, try making one with organic sprouted rice, wild rice or sprouted organic bread stuffing (using a bread like Ezekiel or Alvarado Bakery) in place of the white, refined bread. Then, bake your stuffing in a separate dish instead of cooking it inside the turkey (where it can absorb a high amount of saturated fat from the meat.) Also, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. Doing both of these things allows the vegetarian or vegan diners to be able to enjoy that dish as well.

When making cornbread stuffing, purchase the non-GMO, organic cornmeal (which is free of the bT toxin). If you are feeling brave, try using blue cornmeal, which is about 30 percent higher in protein and has more zinc and iron than white or yellow corn.

When preparing creature (turkey or other types of meat) foods, try using a little orange juice and coconut oil to add moisture, and try baking them instead of frying them. If you are baking, frying or sautéing anything, use organic, pure coconut oil or avocado oil in place of lard, vegetable oil or a trans-fat like Crisco. They handle heat well and have fantastic health benefits.

For other types of animal, fish or fowl, you can grill, broil, or sauté them in a little coconut oil. After you remove them from the heat, you can drizzle some pure, organic, extra virgin olive oil on them and serve with lemon juice or a lemon juice vinaigrette. When dining, choose skinless, white meat pieces, and then add just a tiny bit of gravy.

Now for dessert, try making a pumpkin pie! You can make a whole sprouted grain crust yourself or you can find a whole grain ready-made crust at the store, and serve the coconut milk whipped cream for the topping. It’s delicious and it’s a great way to cut down on dairy.

For dessert, I also love having a simple pitted date as a sweet treat. It’s just fruit, and it is a healthier choice.
Try using non-dairy milk in your recipes or for your coffee creamer. If you want it to be sweeter, blend the milk (like the unsweetened, vanilla coconut or hemp milk) with a little extra added vanilla or maple extract in a blender and add some pitted dates. I soak the pitted dates in water to make them softer so they will crème up easier, and voilà! You have a healthier version of a sweet, holiday creamer for your coffee or desserts. You can also add a sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg (I use whole nutmegs in a pepper grinder) on top for a beautiful and delicious presentation!

When making or serving snacks, try an easy dip option such as a healthy high-protein hummus or nutritious guacamole. Cutting some cucumber, red bell pepper or celery to use as the dipping chips is also a great choice! If you want to serve crackers or chips, try using a whole grain, sprouted, organic version or an organic sweet potato chip or cracker. (Late July is a good brand for chips and Mary’s Gone Cracker’s is my favorite cracker these days.)

For additional snacks that are easy for travel or on the go, try combinations of organic, sprouted nuts, sprouted seeds, olives, pitted dates, raisins, dry fruits, kale chips and coconut chips.

Here are some easy substitutions I use frequently: 1. unsweetened cashew yogurt in place of sour cream, 2. hummus or mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise for sandwiches, 3. unsweetened vanilla coconut, hemp or cashew milk in place of dairy.

With these ingredient substitutions, you can still eat all the delicious flavors you love while enjoying a number of health benefits.

In this way, you can feel and look your best as holiday activities continue on into January. Instead of regretting what you ate, you will glow with radiant health.

So as we continue our traditions, remember that we can create comforting, wonderful memories with our families and friends by just relaxing, and putting a lot of love into everything we do.

It is the warm feelings in the traditions that we will always cherish. It truly is about being present, and being here, right now. Slow down and savor the moment. It is food for our soul.

copyright@nancyaddison2018

Nancy Addison is a certified health counselor, certified in plant-based nutrition, certified raw food chef, certified in Health-Supportive Cooking, and certified in Mediterranean Cooking. Nancy has written award-winning books on health, nutrition and cooking. You can reach her on her website, Organic Healthy Life, or find more easy, healthy recipes in Nancy’s books, using her universal author link for amazon: Author.to/nancyaddison

 

The information from Nancy Addison and Organic Healthy Lifestyle LLC is not offered for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease or disorder nor have any statements herein been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We strongly encourage you to discuss topics of concern with your health care provider.

 

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article, book, podcast, website, email, etc. is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC, AADP. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.

 

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The author and publisher are not liable for misuse of this material. This article, website and books are strictly for informational and educational purposes. Nancy Addison offers information and opinions, not a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or healthcare provider before taking any home remedies or supplements, or following any treatment suggested by Nancy Addison or by anyone listed in the books, articles, or other information contained here. Only your healthcare provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.