Together as a team we love food but by this time of the year we are often feeling that we need to be even more organised than usual, particularly if we have family and friends with us during the festive season, or need to take a sharing dish to a social gathering.
We hope we have found a few recipes to inspire and help you during this busy time of the year.
Three of them are included in our Happy & Healthy Christmas Guide [click here], but we have a couple of extras for you to enjoy and a tip to share, too.
To make it easy, we’ve put them on individual PDFs so you can print them rather than viewing on your phone – much more manageable when making a mess in the kitchen.
Low sugar Christmas cake
The tradition of Christmas Cake originated in the 16th Century when wealthy families added eggs, flour and butter to the original recipe of plum porridge. For those of you who don’t have a tradition of making a Christmas cake months in advance but want to make one and want to know that it isn’t going to give you a sugar crash after eating it, we have adapted a recipe by the lovely Wendy at Cinnamon & Kale.
We have reduced the amount of dried fruit and replaced it with grated apple, which has a lower impact on blood sugar. We have also halved the flour and replaced it with ground almonds, which increases protein and healthy fats. A slice is delicious and served with traditional Greek yoghurt or double cream if you are feeling indulgent!
Chocolate tahini raspberry bites
We have been making these on repeat as they make a wonderful festive gift or are perfect to take to a festive event!
Dark chocolate is a wonderful source of polyphenols, a beneficial plant compound that is anti-inflammatory, reduces oxidative stress, and protects against disease.
The addition of tahini (ground sesame seeds) along with seeds and nuts adds protein and healthy fats, further enhancing the nutrient value of these delicious bites! Freeze-dried raspberries add a citrus burst, while the salt enhances the flavour of the chocolate. What’s not to love?
Any veg tray bake
If you need a quick lunch or dinner recipe to feed a few, or many, alongside some leftover turkey/ham/beef/cheese that you can prep beforehand, a traybake goes a long way to finding the answer.
Prep all the ingredients beforehand, carry on with your day, and pop the oven on when you get home. In minutes, you’ll have a meal on the table packed full of wonderful phytonutrients, the natural compounds in plants that help keep them healthy and, in turn, help protect us from inflammation and free radicals that may harm us. That’s the power of plants!
Bean, kale & pepper soup
For those of you rebellious enough to break away from traditional Christmas meals or if you are fed up with turkey, this vegetarian soup might be just what you need. You can top with eggs to increase the protein and lessen the need for accompaniments such as bread to ensure that you are satisfied.
You can pre-cook this soup (without the eggs) and freeze it ready for when it’s needed. Defrost and reheat in a pan, adding eggs to cook once the soup is hot. Easy peasy after all the Christmas effort!
Easy gravy
You don’t need to be vegetarian to enjoy this gravy, I have been making this gravy for years, adapting the recipe from The Happy Pear, Recipes for Happiness Cookbook.
There is no need for meat juices or stock, which works well with roast. It is super easy and quick to make, freezes well, so it can be made beforehand, and is loved by the staunchest of omnivores.
The 80/20 method
Our team would like to remind you of the 80/20 method. Eat nutritious food 80% of the time and be flexible with the remaining 20%. Your body is incredible at looking after you as long as it has the tools and know-how, which comes from 80% of your efforts.
Keeping this 80/20 method in mind can be very helpful at times of celebration. It allows some indulgence and social meal experiences without being too hard on yourself!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Natalie, Holly and me, Caroline, the Integral Wellness clinic team x
