Check out these healthy food options that’ll add a bit more flavor to your festivities with nutritious recipes.
Whether you have family in town or you’re flying solo, food is a major part of celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.
With this often comes the internal battle of enjoying food while also maintaining healthy habits. It’s important to stay on track, but not let this prohibit you too much from enjoying yourself. Rather than engage with yourself in this constant argument. We’ve created a list or recipes to guide the holidays, laughing all the way.
While these recipes are great suggestions, the main idea is to focus your nutrition around protein, whole foods and drinking plenty of water. Of course, daily physical activity in some shape or form is important, as well.
Let us know what you think of these “12 Eats of Christmas” and feel free to alter in whatever way to jingle your bells.
Breakfast
Eggs on Toast:
- Spread toast with cottage cheese or avocado and add cooked egg(s) on top
- Season with Trader Joe’s “Everything but The Bagel” seasoning or as desired (some simple salt and pepper works too)
Oats:
- Serving of oats (mixed with water or milk)
- Stir in your favorite protein powder
- Add in a few pieces of fruit or chocolate chips
Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Feta:
- Heat 1tsp olive oil in a pan
- Sauté a handful of spinach until wilted
- Beat 2 eggs and pour over spinach
- Crumble 30g feta cheese into the mixture
- Scramble until eggs are cooked
- Season with salt and pepper
Lunch
Grilled Chicken Salad:
- Grill 150g of chicken breast until fully cooked
- Slice chicken and place on top of mixed greens
- Add cherry tomatoes and cucumber
- Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Season with salt and pepper
Turkey and Avocado Wrap:
- Spread a whole grain tortilla with hummus
- Add sliced turkey, avocado, lettuce and tomato
- Roll it up and scarf it down!
Veggie Bowl:
- Rinse and cut up sweet potatoes, carrots and broccoli
- Spread on pan and light layer of oil, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper to mix into the veggies (seasoning is flexible)
- Cook until veggies are soft or slightly crisp (depending on preference) at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Add meat and grain of choice
- Mix in with sauce/dressing of choice
Dinner
Gyros:
- For the tzatziki, mix in a bowl:
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 – 1.5 grated/sliced cucumber
- Spoonful of garlic
- Tablespoon of lemon juice
- Dill, salt and pepper to taste
- Spread tzatziki pita bread (or whatever bread/tortilla you’d like), add cooked ground turkey or chicken on top (option to add diced tomatoes, as well)
Baked Salmon with Steamed Broccoli:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Place 150g of salmon fillet on a baking sheet
- Season with salt, pepper, dill and lemon slices
- Bake for 12-15 minutes
- Steam broccoli until tender
- Serve together and eat up!
Spaghetti:
- Cook your favorite, healthy noodle of choice Swap out ground beef for a leaner option, like ground turkey or ground chicken
- Blend up a can of tomatoes with 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- Mix together and add a few of your favorite veggies on the side for a delicious dinner
Dessert
Fruit Smoothie:
- Blend up your favorite fruit combo
- Chocolatey Flavor – Banana, spinach, peanut butter
- Fruity Flavor – Banana, spinach, berries
- Add in some protein powder
- Chocolatey Flavor – Chocolate protein powder
- Fruity Flavor – Vanilla protein powder
- Add honey for an extra sweet taste or granola for a little crunch
Sour Gummies:
- Freeze grapes in freezer
- Remove and place in a bowl
- Drizzle a bit of lemon/lime juice on top
- Sprinkle a little sugar over them and enjoy!
Cookies:
- Mash 2 bananas
- Add 1/2 cup peanut butter
- Add 1 cup oats
- Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- Add 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- Add 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
- Mix together and separate onto cooking sheet
- Freeze them, bake them or eat them raw!
As you’re going about your holiday traditions, remember that you don’t have to eat reindeer food the whole time, but you probably shouldn’t be on an all-cookie diet like Santa either. Balanced meals like these “12 Eats of Christmas” will help you make memories and muscle. Eating nutritious and delicious, but it also doesn’t have to be super complicated. Let us know on Instagram what recipes you tried out and any others you were inspired to create.
