We like Giada De Laurentiis’ thinking on finding healthy indulgences throughout the holidays. She reminds us that there are always healthy tweaks that can be made to any holiday menu item from the booze to the dessert.
Here are a few healthy swaps for your favorite holiday dishes:
- Instead of a sugar-laden cocktail make Giada’s raspberry Bellini (recipe in the video below!). Champagne is a lighter alcoholic beverage choice and the fruit is a healthy add-in that we LOVE.
- Use vegetables as your dipping tool instead of bread or crackers.
- Replace recipe ingredients like milk or sour cream with the low fat versions.
- Go heavy on spices and herbs and replace broth with water.
- Choose sweet potatoes and cinnamon (and agave nectar) instead of scalloped white potatoes.
When you are in charge of the menu you have the luxury to call the shots. If you are a guest at a holiday affair you can still make healthy choices and enjoy yourself. Now our only hope is that Giada invites us over for her Christmas dinner. Wishful thinking!
Watch today’s video from PopSugar as they talk about having a healthy holiday with one of our favorite celebrity chefs. BONUS: She doesn’t only share health tips on food.
No Christmas is complete without a little gingerbread in your life so we scoured the web for a healthy breakfast item that included the delectable flavors of the gingerbread man. Luckily we found these vegan gingerbread waffles from Liz and Ryan. Very good idea!
Click on the photo for the recipe.
What are your healthy recipe swaps? Are you a gingerbread fan?
Feature photo via
