You know the feeling, finally home for the holidays and can’t wait to taste grandma’s sweet potato pie, fresh out of the oven. All you can think about is the stack of mac & cheese, yams, and ham that’s about to be on you late. But wait, you’re on a diet, right? It’s okay girl, I know exactly how frustrating this can be. Being on campus for months, you just want to come home to a fresh-cooked, comforting holiday meal. What if I told you that you can still get the same satisfying meal, but with healthier options? Here are 5 alternative holiday foods that you can cook over the holidays:
1. Collard Greens Yep, Collard Greens! – Collard Greens is actually a very healthy food. Not only does it still give you that soulful taste of home, but it provides your body with essential vitamins from the greens. Instead of stacking your plate with a lot of tempting starches, try replacing some of those starches with Collard Greens.
2. Peach Custard Pie – I know that sweet potato pie is a holiday favorite, but with the amount of sugar used to make it, it is not the healthiest food to fulfill over the holidays. A great alternative is Peach Custard Pie. Peach Custard Pie is made with low-fat milk and Greek yogurt so that you can still get a great, sweet taste with healthier benefits.
3. Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken – Chicken is a traditional holiday favorite, so why not bake it to make it healthier? This oven baked chicken isn’t fried, but contains a healthy special batter that is used to still give it a crunchy taste after taking it out of the oven. You can indulge in this holiday dish and get proper nourishment at the same time.
4. Cornbread – I think we can all agree that cornbread is an essential part of a holiday meal. The same comforting taste can still be created, but just with a swap of ingredients. Instead of whole milk and butter, use fat-free milk and margarine. This will still fulfill you with the creamy, moist taste that you love!
5. Mac and Cheese – Mac and Cheese is THE dish that completes the holiday meal. It is basically a necessity, but how can you possibly make it healthier? Easy, just use fat-free milk instead of whole milk. This one simple switch can lower the amount of calorie intake, while still giving you holiday dinner vibes. See? Look at all these scrumptious alternatives, girl! You can still enjoy your holiday-craved meal. Just switch a few ingredients around and BOOM, you still have your taste-of-home, without the added calories!
Try these options for the holidays and you will surely avoid being placed on Santa’s naughty list.