Healthy Holiday Swaps

Create healthy, festive meals this holiday season to keep you and your family from indulging in too many unhealthy treats. Read on to satisfy your cravings without the guilt.

  The holidays are a time to celebrate, get together with loved ones and of course indulge in our favourite festive foods. Sometimes it's easy to get a little too carried away in the indulgences and we end up eating more processed or sugar laden foods than we wanted. These recipes will below will help keep your meals wholesaled food centric and your desserts healthier. 

Coconut French Toast

  Start your Christmas morning on with a hearty breakfast to get you through the day. By eating a filling breakfast, you won't feel as hungry throughout the day, therefore you won't over indulge in snacking. This recipe also gives you a hint of sweetness with cinnamon, stevia and maple syrup, without spiking your blood sugar.

Ingredients:

2 whole eggs, or use equivalent of egg substitute combined with nutritional yeast
2 slices of sprouted bread
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + more for sprinkling on top
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
A pinch of stevia

Directions:

• In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon and stevia 
• One slice at a time, dip a piece of sprouted bread into mixture- ensure it's fully coated on each side- Note: If you like soggier french toast, place both pieces in at a time and let them sit for a few minutes before flipping.
• Once done, place on a baking sheet and top both slices with shredded coconut, sprinkle with extra cinnamon
• Bake in the oven for roughly 10 minutes, or until egg has fully baked and the toast is a light brown/golden colour. 
• Serve hot & enjoy!
• Top toast anyway you like it. We enjoy it with warm berries and a light drizzle of pure, organic maple syrup or manuka honey. 

Non Potato Maple Mash

  Add extra vegetables to your holiday meal by substituting mashed potatoes for mashed turnips! They have the same consistency and with a taste this good, no one will be missing the other. 

Ingredients:

3 medium raw turnips, chopped

4 cups carrots, chopped

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil 

Directions:

• Chop carrots and turnips into smaller pieces, making it easier for them to soften faster. Place in a large pot filled with water, bring to a boil over medium heat.
• After roughly 20 minutes, vegetables should be soft. Pierce them with a fork to test if uncertain. Remove from heat, drain the water. 
• Place vegetables in a large bowl, add in maple syrup and coconut oil. Mash with a hand masher. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper
• Serve hot!

Creamy Broccoli Vegan Risotto  

  Forgot the stuffing this year and make this whole food, gluten free alternative instead! Pairs well with any main dish and there's no pressure to make a full turkey if it's a small get together. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white cooking wine or water

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1-1.5 cups risotto rice

3 cups gluten-free vegetable broth

2 cups non-dairy milk

3 cups chopped broccoli florets

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

• Sauté onion and garlic in large pan over medium heat until onions are tender
• In another saucepan, over medium heat, bring dairy-free milk and broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer
• To onion mixture; add white wine or water and lemon juice. Keep on heat until all liquid has been cooked away
• Add rice to onion mix. Gently cook over low-medium heat for a few minutes
• Measure out 1 cup of broth and pour into rice. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring just enough so it doesn't burn
• Once that broth is absorbed, repeat the process with measurements of 1/2 cup of broth at a time. 
• Keep 1.5 cups of broth in saucepan and add broccoli. Keep repeating process until all broth is absorbed and broccoli is tender.
• Serve hot and garnish with green onions

You can make this dish ahead of time and store in fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. 

Sugar Free Cacao Truffles 

  This seasons most decadent dessert just got an upgrade! Put a healthier spin on your holiday dessert with these guilt free, sugar free truffles.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Butter:

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter

2 tbsp grape seed oil

3 tbsp cacao powder

5 drops stevia concentrate

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Truffles:

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

100g cacao paste or unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1/2 cup cacao powder, divided

1 tsp alcohol free pure vanilla extract

25 drops stevia concentrate 

Directions:

Chocolate Butter:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until fully combined. 
• Tip: Sometimes sunflower butter can be a little oily, if this is the case, adjust the recipe by removing the grapeseed oil. Set aside. 

Truffles:

• Over low heat, melt coconut oil and stir in cacao paste, coconut palm sugar and chocolate butter. Stir consistently to avoid burning or sticking
• Once combines, slowly add half of cacao powder, making sure it's fully incorporated before removing the pan from heat
• Stir in remaining ingredients and place in fridge for 2-3 hours- you want the mixture to be a little more firm and easier to handle
• Place remaining cacao powder in a small dish. Set aside
• Using hands, take the firm mixture and create bite sized truffle balls
• Roll in the cacao powder and place on a serving dish or in an airtight container. Repeat until all mixture is gone. 
• Serve right away or store in fridge/freezer until you're ready to serve! 

  Healthy doesn't have to mean sacrifice. These healthy swaps aren't only loaded with ingredients and superfoods that are good for you, they're also loaded with flavour. These healthy alternatives will satisfy your cravings and keep you healthier too. Happy Holidays from National Nutrition!

7 Holiday Smoothies

Ever noticed how the week leading up to Christmas is pure and utter chaos? As much as we tell ourselves that this year we're going to relax more and not go overboard with holiday festivities, we don't listen and who are we kidding, we go above and beyond what we did the previous year. Our eating patterns get thrown out of whack, our daily chores get tossed aside and our sleeping patterns- wait, what sleeping patterns? We are on constant overload and we're not getting enough nutrients, yet getting sick is not an option. Well, take one deep breath because we've got a smoothie a day to keep your stress [and grey hairs] of the holidays away. It's not like we're asking you to make a gourmet breakfast, so if you have a blender and can only spare five minutes of your time – this is your best solution.

Cran-Orange Smoothie

Add a burst of flavour to your morning with the tartness of cranberries, complete with antioxidants, and the sweetness of oranges, which makes up for your Vitamin C intake. Vega One protein powder is a great addition because one serving has 15g of protein, 6g fibre, 3 servings of greens, 2.7 cups of antioxidants, 1 billion probiotics and 1.5g of omega-3. If that doesn't make you're day seem productive, we don't know what will.

1/4 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen

1 orange, peeled

1 scoop Vega One (berry flavour)

1 pinch cinnamon

1 cup water

1/2 cup ice cubes

Almond Cinnamon Date Smoothie

Besides its lovely smell, cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar – making it a great choice for diabetics. It reduces LDL choloestrol levels, has many anti-infectious compounds and contains fiber, calcium, iron and manganese. Adding even a small amount into your daily diet is a fabulous place to start. The added coffee will give you a wake up call and the turmeric helps to cleanse your liver and act as an antiseptic for any cuts and burns.

1 cup morning chia almond milk [click here for recipe]

1 tbsp almond butter

2 dates

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tsp coffee or 6-7 coffee beans

1/2 tsp turmeric

1tsp maca [optional]

4 ice cubes

Cinnamon for garnish

Santa's Green Smoothie

The colour of this smoothie is one thing [can it get anymore festive?] but it's the health benefits, that makes this smoothie a winning pick for your morning. We can't stress enough how important it is to get your greens. They play a key role in reducing blood clots and the vitamin K source will help you looking young, even in this time of stress. It can help lower cholesterol and its high in calcium which is where the bitter taste comes from (good thing this smoothie hides it so well). Just make sure you check your face in your mirror, it would be a little harder explaining the green moustache then the health benefits of this smoothie.

1/4 cup avocado, mashed

1 1/2 cups of greens [kale, spinach, chard etc.]

1 cup coconut water

1 pear, remove stem

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup ice

1-2 pinches of cayenne/ginger [optional]

Cocoa Berry Smoothie

Sometimes a little chocolate in the morning is just what the doctor ordered for a jump start to the day. And right your doctor is! Packed full of antioxidants, cocoa powder is also high in magnesium and iron, yet they won't give you the downing effect hours later that sugar will, because it doesn't contain any. This is the perfect smoothie to down before you dive into your housekeeping chores.

1 scoop Vega protein smoothie [bodacious berry flavour]

2 tsp cocoa powder

1 cup almond milk

1 cup frozen berries

1/4 tsp vanilla

Generous handful of chopped mint leaves

Ginger, Peach, Chamomile Smoothie

A little zest of ginger never hurt anyone, and it's certainly not just a flavour that should be saved for your stir-fry night! Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory source and can aid in digestion, as well as give you relief from sickness. That, paired with the calming effects of chamomile, will have you ready to tackle the busy shopping mall, all-day-long.

1 chamomile tea [steeped in a 1/2 cup of boiling water]

1/2 cup soy/almond/coconut milk

1 peach, skinned, stone removed

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1-2 tsp wheatgerm

Turn Beet Holiday Red Smoothie

Beets are an amazing source of potassium, magnesium, fibre, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B & C as well as beta-carotene. They are great tonics for the liver, work as a blood purifier and can prevent various forms of cancer – not to mention the natural energy they give you – perfect for the morning after a late night of holiday socializing over a glass of vino.

1 small beet

1 cucumber

1 banana

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 cup water

2 tsp ginger, freshly grated

You're 'Fig-ing Crazy' Smoothie 

Often overlooked, figs are a great addition into any sweet-tooths diet. Naturally high in sugar, minerals and soluble fibre, figs are also rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and copper and are a great source of antioxidants as well as vitamins A, E & K. Making this the perfect smoothie to consume the morning after a big dinner that was high in sodium.

2 handfuls, figs

1 handful, blueberries

1 plum

Lime juice

1/2 cup water/coconut water/milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dash of cardamom

1-2 medjool dates