Healthy Holiday Tips from Life Foods
A locally sourced salad with Noni Ranch and Gomasio. Daniel Lane photo
The holidays can be both so fun and lovely, but if you are worried about maintaining a wholesome diet during the parties, dinners and events it can also seem daunting. But you don’t have to sacrifice your love of good foods to enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer. Here are some of our favorite tips from Andrea Bertoli, marketing director, chef and educator for Life Foods.
Choose your calories wisely: If you attend a holiday dinner or potluck and there are just too many good dishes to choose from, try to start with those that contain the most plant-based foods. Look for whole-grain dishes, big salads and vegetable sides. Indulge in these healthier options, and the fiber from the grains and veggies will fill your belly well; if you are still hungry, move on to the heavier foods after you’ve had your fill of the plants.
Try plant-based substitutes: During Thanksgiving we are likely to choose classic comfort foods, which are traditionally heavy and super filling. What about trying those classic holiday dishes like stuffing, gravy, sweet potato casserole and others with lighter, healthier options? Seek out options like almond, rice or coconut milk and cream, vegan butter and vegan cheese to add a comforting flavor without the fat, cholesterol and calories of traditional dairy. Nearly all classic Thanksgiving dishes can be made without dairy and often without meat! Gravy, sauces and stuffing can be made with vegetable broth, nutritional yeast (a flaky yellow condiment found at health food stores), miso or chickpeas for a flavor-rich, but decadent and light, dish. There are thousands of recipes online for wholesome holiday foods like pumpkin pie, gravy, stuffing, casseroles, salads, soups, breads and more. Plus, Life Foods has a great collection of recipes as well. Explore and find your favorites today!
Eat well when you can: Maybe you don’t have the time or inclination to change those favorite family recipes this year, so choose healthier when you can. At home try to include new vegetables and lots more of them! Autumn favorites like squash, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes and cabbage (most of which can be grown locally) are great this time of year. Adding in a few more salads, vegetable mains, healthy soups and a few meatless meals here and there are a great ways to ensure that you’re getting all your fruits and veggies, which can make you feel a little bit better about indulging at those parties! Healthy convenience foods like Life Foods vegan burgers, sausages and tempeh are easy, quick meals that can help keep you healthy and happy all season long.
Life Foods is a Maui-based start-up producing a line of organic, Non-GMO, gluten-free burgers, sausages, condiments and dressings. We featured them this June in The Garden Island newspaper. Here’s a list of places that sell Life Foods products.