Holiday Cooking: Make your favorite holiday foods healthier with these substitutions

The holiday season is filled with events often centered around food. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when unhealthy choices are tempting, leaving us feeling sluggish when we want to experience moments to their fullest. These unhealthy choices can also harm our health.

The good news is there are healthy options available, and you can modify your favorite dishes or add new ones to your table to make them more nutritious and delicious!

Consider the Daily Dozen Meal Planning Guide as a useful framework for both everyday meals and holiday planning: Aim to fill half of your plate with vegetables, one-fourth of your plate with beans and the remaining one-fourth of your plate with whole grains. You can enhance your menu by incorporating fruits, spices, nuts and seeds for added color and texture. This approach naturally reduces or eliminates animal products and minimizes salt, oil and sugar, while increasing the nutritional value of your meals.

To boost the health of your holiday gatherings, start by eliminating processed meats such as ham, bacon, deli meats, “little smokies” and salami. Processed meats are high in saturated fats and contain additives linked to cancer. If you must include meat, opt for turkey, and consider buying a smaller bird — there will be less temptation to take large portions, as well as fewer leftovers, which will reduce the health risks associated with meat consumption.

Next, consider eliminating cheese from your holiday dishes. There are several good vegan cheese options available in most grocery stores. Or, you can select recipes that don’t use cheese. For appetizers and charcuterie trays, focus on dried and fresh fruits, along with healthier cracker options like almond crackers, such as Nut-Thins by Blue Diamond. Explore vegan dessert recipes that use cashew cheese for a delightful treat.

Fill your table with a variety of beautiful and diverse vegetable and fruit dishes; healthy unsalted, unsweetened nut mixes; and desserts that showcase the vibrant colors of whole foods. By increasing the options that are free of saturated fat, salt and sugar, you can naturally crowd out the need for unhealthy dishes.

One of the simplest ways to boost the health of your events or holiday parties is to consider omitting alcohol. Alcohol consumption is linked to various health issues, including cancer, stroke, heart disease and sleep disorders. It’s known to impair cognitive function, harm brain cells and is addictive. It’s often referred to as “liquid fat,” due to its high calorie density. Additionally, avoiding alcohol can save you money. If you want to offer something new and different for your guests, explore the growing selection of nonalcoholic beverages that are available.

Lastly, remember we are influenced by everyone around us, not only the five people we spend the most time with, as some believe. This is an exciting realization: You have the power to influence others, as well. When you make healthier choices in your food, portion sizes, and beverage selection, as well as share how much better you feel and function because of it, you not only benefit yourself, but also those around you.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

__Be Healthy__

When looking to make recipes more nutritious this holiday season, try these healthy substitutes in place of unhealthy ingredients, from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

Meat substitutes

-Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils are all high in fiber and protein.

-Portobello mushrooms work well for fillings as a meat layer in baked dishes, on sandwiches or as a burger themselves.

-Veggie burgers or other meat analogs can be eaten as they are, or chopped up for soups or chili. Analogs are normally found in the frozen section in grocery stores or in the produce section, including options like Beyond Burgers and Morningstar Farms Extreme Chick’n Tenders.

-Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is a good substitute for ground meat.

-Seitan is made from wheat gluten and is easy to use in stews or stir-fries.

-Tofu is made from soybeans and works well to help recipes hold their shape.

-Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is made of soybeans and is a ground meat substitute.

Oil and butter alternatives

-When sautéing or stir-frying, use water or vegetable broth, and keep adding as needed.

-For baking, applesauce or any variety of mashed beans can be used in place of oil. Black beans in brownies and white beans in banana bread, as examples, camouflage well.

Egg Substitutes — one egg is equal to:

-1 tablespoon chia seeds and 3 tablespoons water

-¼ cup silken tofu, blended

-½ mashed banana

-¼ cup applesauce or puréed fruit

-½ cup soy or rice yogurt

-1½ teaspoons vegan egg replacement powder, prepared as directed

-¼ cup mashed white potatoes, sweet potatoes or pumpkin

-2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot

-¼ cup cooked oats

-1 teaspoon baking powder

Dairy alternatives:

-Milk: Almond, oat, soy, hazelnut or rice milk

-Creams: Almond milk or any nut milk, soy milk, mashed potato, puréed garbanzo beans, puréed tofu, nondairy sour cream, soy whipping cream, soy creamer

-Parmesan cheese: Nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chopped walnuts or almonds

-Cheese: Soy, rice, nutritional yeast, and nut-based cheese alternatives such as cashew cheese or cheese analogs found in the frozen section in grocery stores or in the produce section, including options like Daiya Cheese and Morningstar Farms cheese spreads, slices and shreds.

-Butter: Dairy-free non-hydrogenated margarine, applesauce, nut butters, hummus

-Ricotta cheese: Firm tofu, drained and crumbled, with added seasoning