Our health often takes a backseat when it comes to the most magical time of the year. With the numerous parties, endless visits, and preparations for the big day, itโs easy to overlook our healthy eating habits. However, there are several simple swaps you can make during the festive season to help you maintain a healthier dietโwithout sacrificing the joy of the celebrations.
The secret to a healthier Christmas lies in choosing nourishing ingredients that benefit your body, such as nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Thankfully, these items are plentiful during the holiday season, and we have some tips to help you reduce your intake of sugar, fat, gluten, dairy, and alcohol.
- Serve Fish for Dinner
Take Christmas as an opportunity to get a good dose of healthy omega-3 fats and cook up a roast salmon for supper.
2. Leave Healthy Cookies for Father Christmas
With so many chimneys to squeeze down, we’re sure Father Christmas wouldn’t mind the occasional healthy cookie instead of traditional gingerbread or mince pies.
3. Add a Side of Spinach
Rise and shine on Christmas Day, serve your meal with a side of spinach for an extra nutritious hit โ it’s high in iron and thought to support both heart and bone health. Alternatively, you could have asparagus on the side โ it’s a rich source of folate and helps support a healthy gut.
4. Switch to Sourdough
For a fibre-rich festive breakfast, serve your eggs, smoked salmon and greens on a slice of toasted wholemeal or sourdough bread.
5. Start Your Day with Fruit
Dried figs, prunes, pears and apricots will give you a healthy hit of fibre and keep you energised until lunchtime. Just what you need when there’s lots of cooking to be done.
6. Opt for Non-Alcoholic Wine
With so many parties and celebrations during the Christmas period, it’s a good idea to stock a few bottles of non-alcoholic wine.
7. Swap Crisps for Olives
Ditch the salt-laden crisps and snack on olives when you’re feeling peckish. They’re rich in antioxidants and have many other impressive health benefits, too.
8. Make Veg the Star of the Show
Leave out the meat and make a stunning centrepiece using root vegetables, lentils, nuts and cheese. The results will be hearty, wholesome and delicious โ not to mention cheaper than most cuts of meat.
9. Go Nuts for Good Fats
During the festive period, follow tradition and put out bowls of nuts. Not only does this curb hunger pangs between meals, it also gives a boost of good fats.
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