We are just a day away from the year’s most magical holiday. This time of the year is a celebration for all your senses — especially for your taste buds. It can be very easy to get carried away because of your busy schedule (buying presents, planning holiday dinners, decorating your house) thus loosing track of how much you eat and what you eat. In order to avoid that feeling of guilt once the holidays are over, a feeling that can overcome the joy of this wonderful occasion, plan smart this year and be aware of the food choices you make.
Let’s start off by talking about the holiday dinner. Everybody has their favorite holiday specials from roast beef, turkey and spiced lamb, to the most decadent, chocolate filled deserts. There are a lot of different ways to prepare your favorite meals without having to compromise your health and, at the same time, the taste of those special foods you love so much.
Appetizers
Appetizers are a good way to start off your Christmas dinner. Start off by making a big plate of tartines (little sandwiches). Tartines are brought to us by the French and the name actually means open faced sandwich, with a rich or fancy spread. How fancy the spread is depends entirely on you. These mini open faced sandwiches are the perfect appetizer because you can prepare them with many healthy and delicious ingredients. For example, use lightly toasted whole grain bread, and garnish the tartines with low fat cream cheese, half of teaspoon of lemon zest and a little bit of salmon. If you feel adventurous and want to bring some more French influence to your entrees, you can caramelize some finely diced onions with a little brown sugar and place them over some creamy cheese spread, with some lightly grilled turkey bacon. Delicious!
Dinner
For your Christmas dinner, use lean meats like a turkey roast with lemon slices and thyme. The lemons give the turkey an amazing flavor that will challenge all your senses without adding excess calories. This way you will have enough room for your favorite dessert. Garnish your meal with some brightly colored mashed vegetables. Take advantage of the vegetables that are available this season like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peas, or carrots (for an extra whimsical look use purple carrots). This will make you meal look magical. Spice your mashed vegetables with a little garlic, some olive oil and some parsley.
Desserts
When it comes to desserts, the holidays offer a lot of options for your taste palate. Incorporate as many winter harvest fruits as possible. Make a basic crust and garnish it with your favorite fruits like apples, pears or cranberries, for an easy and lighter alternative to the rich desserts. If you are a chocolate enthusiast, go for the unsweetened dark chocolate cake. Not only will your chocolate cake be more healthy but using cocoa and dark chocolate will transform your cake into a truly decadent treat that will be appreciated by your family and your guests.
