6 Healthy, Filling Christmas Dishes That WON'T Turn You Into Santa Overnight
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

6 Healthy, Filling Christmas Dishes That WON'T Turn You Into Santa Overnight

The ultimate guide to prevent you from becoming Santa.

48
6 Healthy, Filling Christmas Dishes That WON'T Turn You Into Santa Overnight
Unsplash / Joshua Ness

Past Halloween and now Thanksgiving, Christmas is around the corner, and families are bound to gather around a table heaping with buttery mashed potatoes and warm snickerdoodle cookies. With those in mind, it can be quite difficult to stay on a healthy regime when temptations are offered to you left and right. Nonetheless, there are six foolproof ways to eat healthy over the holidays.


1. Drink homemade fruit smoothies.

The loads of carbs will surely take up most of your appetite; therefore, to fit in a healthy boost of vitamins, make a fruit smoothie of bananas, strawberries, apples or whatever suits the taste and down a glass every morning. This way, breakfast or even an afternoon snack will present full servings of fruit on even the most carb-filled days.

2. Swap that seven-course feast with a pot of soup.

Soup — a perfect matrimony on a chilly Christmas night with a strong wind rustling the ferns outside the window. When paired with several dices of carrots, potatoes and celery, any soup (without much butter or cream) is just as filling as a three-course appetizer. Not only does it nourish bodies with over-night broth and vegetables, soup can fill stomachs quicker, leaving less room for empty calories. This can definitely help limit calorie intakes..

3. Throw some nuts into those chocolate chip cookies with two percent milk.

Nuts are high in Omega-3 nutrients and are often very filling. By incorporating a few crushed walnuts, pecans or peanuts into cookie dough, cookies will take a prized new flavor and texture, a unique twist for the kids. Additionally, by using nuts, chocolate chips can be substituted to cut back grams of sugar and saving multiple cavities. Now, don't forget to pair them with a cool glass of two percent milk instead of whole!

4. Cut back on the butter and use alternative fats.

Canola oil is one of the most common oils used in cooking; however, it can often be processed. Instead of mixing that entire stick of butter into your roast pork, use a fourth and add some coconut oil for extra silkiness. Olive oil is yet another alternative fat that is more pure and contains more polyunsaturated fats, which is healthy for the heart in moderation. By cutting back on the butter, the meal could be reduced by 500 calories!

5. Incorporate a few glasses of cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar.

As a resort, if the meal is truly the traditional fatty feast Christmas gatherings have to offer, incorporating cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar can aid in digestion and stable bowel movements. Even after a food coma, these superfood miracle remedies clear out the intestines and neutralize the acids in the stomach, suppressing the symptoms of heart burn.

6. Substitute ice cream with frozen yogurt or sorbet.

Though the weather is frigid, nothing can stop the kids from carving out the entire supply of ice cream in the fridge. Too ease worries on consumption of sugar, replace ice-cream recipes with frozen yogurt. It has a third less of sugar and still tastes fabulous. It may even be better tasting than ice cream for some, so try out different recipes to find your perfect fit. Sorbet can also be used to as a festive twist!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

54248
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

34909
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957240
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

182837
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments