The first thing that comes to mind with Christmas season along with trimmings is heavenly delicious food. Christmas is time for stuffed chicken with butter and ambrosial desserts. Well it’s not out of the ordinary to learn people gaining an excess pound or two during Christmas. We can help your family enjoy a healthier version of Christmas without feeling guilty of ruining their diet. Sticking to Christmas dinner recipes with the entire flavor in a rather health-conscious manner may not be all that difficult. Just a few simple tricks and tips can possibly help you enjoy a healthy Christmas dinner.
First and foremost plan your Christmas food menu without stress and remember it’s a season for sharing and joy. Include healthy and nutritious homemade food in the Christmas menu and activities involving all members of the family. Don’t forget to stick to only fresh quality ingredients so the dishes turn out more scrumptious and toothsome. Since its time to indulge in overeating, find means to keep the recipes as low in fats as possible. Prior to the main courses place a low fat vegetable soup like tomato and a simple green salad, so it fills part of the stomach and everyone will end up eating less later on.
There is no hard and fast rule which claims that Christmas dinner has to be fattening in order to be delicious. If stuffed chicken is the A list of your menu, then remember to remove its skin before serving. In order to keep the chicken tender and moist, marinade the thawed meat before cooking. The dinner will definitely encompass a variety of food items, so why not serve a little vegetables and fruits too. Brussels sprouts are wonderful Christmas vegetables that have to be boiled and dressed with softer, sweeter chestnuts. Intense research and investigation has concluded that Brussels sprouts may avert risk of cancer and heart disease. Apart from being a rich source of protein, the vegetable protects DNA from damage. Chestnuts on the other hand, contain large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins.
Well, chestnuts with Brussels sprouts can also be substituted with braised red cabbage and apple. If exposure to air pollution takes place on a daily basis, then red cabbage is the exact vegetable that has to be consumed. Red Cabbage helps detoxify pollutants and provides phytonutrients. As it is said, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ its inclusion in the Christmas menu too is not a bad idea.
As for a side dish, creamy and full of flavor garlic mashed potatoes can never get medieval. Mashed potatoes can be offered along with turkey roast. Another suitable side dish for this season is mild vegetable dishes accompanied with very well seasoned ham. This can also be replaced by sweet potato casserole. You can even include all the dishes mentioned in this feature if possible because the more options your family has, the more they’ll enjoy the meal. Fruits such as orange, grapefruit, pomegranate, etc. can be tossed together and are instantly ready to be served like a salad. Along with a simple fruit salad, all time famous Christmas Jell-O mold salads can also be prepared. A cherry Christmas salad or the traditional festival salad can be mixed up too with low-fat ingredients.
It’s now time what the entire family is anxiously waiting for, desserts. If you don’t cook or bake on a regular basis, go for manageable recipes making it simper to accomplish the task. Christmas pudding with rum butter, pecan-cranberry tart or Christmas trifle dessert can be a real treat for your family. Gorgeous little chocolate truffles and cranberry streusel cake go well with a cup of coffee and are best during family time. The feast can be continued by Christmas eggnog standing smartly in a tall interestingly molded glass. While serving Christmas eggnog garnish it with cinnamon, nutmeg or whipped cream. You may be thinking that how can desserts help keep the waistline in check. Since desserts cannot be avoided altogether, especially on Christmas Eve, then you may wonder what substitutes are for.
Ingredients utilized for preparing desserts can be wisely selected, ensuring those with a sweet tooth too have their share of fun. Go for fat free milk and sweeteners such as honey. Choose chocolate syrup as it is fat free and low in calories, but keep its usage at minimal. Even while baking healthier alternatives can be employed. Swap two egg whites for every whole egg in a recipe or instead of oil use apple sauce. Inclusion of walnuts, fresh/dried fruit, or fiber to your Christmas dessert is a good thought. It is known that some fibers are capable of locking onto fat and later help in flushing it out, thus benefiting in getting rid of excess fats. Desserts can be garnished with family favorite fruit slices along with granola or some crushed whole-wheat cereal. Don’t forget the most important point about desserts – keep the portion small in size.
The whole idea behind Christmas dinner is spending quality time with family and friends, without getting too overwhelmed and stressed. We understand that deciding for the big day can be quite theatrical and nerve-cracking. Well relax! Simply create a list of food items that you are appreciated for and tick in the healthy ones. Also various recipe books, internet sites, etc. are loaded with good tips for cooking yummy Christmas food. Just a little research and handwork can be the key to an amazing Christmas dinner. So all adventurous foodies pick up that ladle and start dishing out recipes that could make space in your Christmas family dinner, albeit in a healthier way.