The holiday season is a time for celebration, family and, of course, an abundance of delicious food. The dishes we eat are the centrepiece of our holiday traditions and reflect our culture, our personality and our memories. However, many of these classic recipes can be indulgent, leaving us feeling guilty about our eating choices afterwards. If you are following a dietary plan or simply trying to eat healthier, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to keep the flavours you are used to while using a healthier approach to cooking and eating. Transforming traditional recipes into healthy alternatives doesn’t mean sacrificing taste either. It’s about making mindful ingredient swaps and adopting smarter cooking methods to create nutritious, yet completely delicious, meals. Below are some simple yet effective ways to revamp your holiday favourites:

Roast Turkey:

Turkey is already one of the healthiest options for a holiday dinner, with just 155 calories in a portion of roasted turkey breast and 34 grams of protein. To keep your turkey dinner as low-fat as possible, choose the leaner cuts of meat, remove the skin before you eat it and cook the turkey in its own juices rather than using butter or oil.

Pigs in Blankets:

This holiday staple can be made more nutritious by opting for chicken sausages or low-fat chipolatas. Additionally, using back bacon without the rind of fat is much leaner than using streaky bacon rashers which have a higher fat content.

Stuffing Balls:

Instead of using sausage meat in your stuffing balls this year, why not try a low-fat bread-based alternative instead? Use wholemeal bread, dried fruit and nuts and herbs to capture the same flavours of stuffing without the additional calories.

Mashed Potatoes: Substitute heavy cream in mashed potatoes for low-fat milk or a dairy-free cream alternative such as Elmlea.

Mince Pies: Just because you want to eat healthy doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert! Swap out shortcrust or puff pastry for low-fat alternatives such as filo pastry or even an egg-washed tortilla wrap cut to size.

Looking for further inspiration? The British Heart Foundation’s website ¹ has a wide variety of heart-healthy options and recipes for holiday meals. Here are some other healthy cooking swaps you can try this year:

• Substitute refined sugars with natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey.
• Use whole grain flour or almond flour instead of white flour.
• Swap cream with Greek yoghurt or a plant-based alternative.
• Incorporate whole grains into side dishes, like stuffing, for added fibre and nutrients.
• Replace butter, lard, goose fat or ghee with an unsaturated oil like olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil.
• Include more vegetable side dishes to your holiday spread to add more vitamins, minerals and fibre.
• Use reduced fat meat and cheese options for a more heart-friendly meal.

This holiday season, why not try some of these ingredient swaps and incorporate nutritious alternatives to your usual holiday feast? Remember, the essence of the holidays isn’t only about the food on the table, but also about the joy of sharing these moments with your loved ones. Happy and Healthy Holidays!

Author: Shirley Carruthers - Content Creator at ParkerSteel

References:
1.) BHF - Festive Swaps