With the holiday season around the corner, it is essential to focus on enjoying time with friends and family, socializing, and not over-indulging in the food and drink on offer.
With the onslaught of advertisements portraying that tables should be ladened with every type of food available for that festive dinner or party, there is no wonder the fear of weight gain often leads people to forget about making memories and celebrating good times. Still, Christmas doesn’t have to disrupt your diet; you can do many things to minimize the effects of over-eating those holiday season recipes. Get active, go for a walk after dinner or dance the night away to burn off some calories, be aware of what you eat, watch the portion size, fill up on healthy vegetables and avoid large sugary desserts. Excess alcohol can also increase your appetite, but one of the fundamental things you can do to maintain your weight loss motivation is to set sustainable goals then you can enjoy yourself without feeling you have sinned. While the festive season might tempt you into more than the odd treat, some recipes will give you pleasure but are less likely to induce weight gain.
Here are some of those recipe ideas.
Three Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
These delicious creamy chocolate treats take 10 minutes to make and combining bittersweet chocolate, marshmallows, and cream will quench your craving for something sweet. Using the microwave to melt and cook the ingredients and the refrigerator to cool them won’t interfere with cooking your festive lunch. Have them as an alternative to Christmas pudding or trifle for guilt-free pleasure. Sprinkle them with a few crushed nuts before you serve to add a crunchy textured finish.
Cinnamon Apple Chips
This easy recipe creates a delicious way to use up some apples without adding calories by simply slicing them, sprinkling them with cinnamon then baking them in the oven. If you crave something sweet, sprinkle it with a bit of sugar. Dipped into fat-free crème Fraiche or natural yogurt can further enhance the flavor of the apples and increase your enjoyment. Nibbling on these crispy apple chips anytime you feel like a snack will not disrupt your healthy eating plan too much.
Coconut Bliss Balls
The look of these decadent coconut bliss balls will tingle your taste buds, and they are a healthier alternative as a Christmas treat or for you to give as a gift. A great alternative to some of the more decadent sugar-heavy cakes and sweets on the table, they are also suitable for Vegans. The ingredients are shredded coconut, dark chocolate, coconut cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. To give them an exotic twist, add some almond or rum extract. They are best served chilled and contain 40 calories each, as long as you are careful of the portion size.
Gluten-Free Christmas Pudding
As a gluten-free option, this pudding still contains plenty of fruit and nuts and is a gourmet delight when covered in brandy sauce, which can be served hot or cold. Making it up to months before and leaving it to mature somewhere cool gives it even more flavor. Like any good Christmas pudding, it contains all the usual items such as raisins, dried currants, cranberries and cherries, almonds, and grated apples, giving it all the taste you expect, while the brandy sauce is simply butter, corn-starch, milk, and brandy.
Peppermint Swirl Meringues
If you love lemon meringues or Eton mess, these tasty peppermint meringue swirls are delicious and have only ten calories each. They are crisp on the outside like any good meringue, with a slightly chewy middle, and made with egg whites, sugar, and crème of tartar which will stabilize the egg whites and help to hold the shape. The peppermint extract can be substituted with a flavor of your choice, perhaps strawberry or lemon. Also, add a drop of food coloring to enhance their appeal. These easy-to-prepare irresistible-looking sweet treats will perk you up by making you feel you haven’t missed out on forbidden fruits.
