Healthy Holiday Substitutions

Substitute normal or unhealthy ingredients for healthy ones, you don’t even have to tell anybody.  Some people just don’t like change hahaha.  Everything in moderation – festive foods, sweets, and drinking.  Utilize lots of seasonings, garlic, and olive oil.  Plus you can swap either 100% of the ingredient or 50/50%.  It is the holidays after all, have some fun!  This topic is ever changing and can always be added to!

Appetizers

• Hummus with fresh veggies
• Cream cheese based dips → Greek yogurt based; Either 100% or 50/50%
• Fresh fruit bowl 
• Vegetable platter
• Olive oil and balsamic vinegar bread dip (like they do in fancy restaurants)

Entrees

• More lean meats (such as poultry, pork chops) and less processed meats
• Fish and Seafood
• Deep fried → Roasted or Smoked entree

Side Dishes

• Mashed potatoes → Mashed cauliflower/cauliflower rice; Either 100% or 50/50%
• Green bean casserole → fresh ingredients using non-canned items
  • Fresh green beans and mushrooms, create your own sauce
  • Or simply sauteed green beans
• Creamed spinach → Sauteed greens with garlic and herbs
• Sweet potato casserole → Roasted sweet potatoes with olive oil and spices
• White bread stuffing → Use sprouted or whole grain bread, whole grains, lots of vegetables, herbs, apples
• Noodles → Zoodles / Zucchini noodles (Veggie); Either 100% or 50/50%
• White bread or rolls → Whole wheat bread or rolls
• Butter → Olive oil and balsamic vinegar bread dip (like they do in fancy restaurants)
• Sour cream → Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• Canned cranberry sauce → Homemade cranberry sauce
  • Crockpot Cranberry Sauce Recipe here
  • Cranberry Relish Recipe here

Desserts / Baking

• All purpose flour → Whole wheat pastry flour; Either 100% or 50/50%
• Cut refined white sugar in ½
• Pie (any dessert really) → Grilled or roasted fruit with the same holiday spices
• Heavy cream → Coconut milk
• Oil → Applesauce (and can use applesauce for a sweetener)
• Oil → Butter
• Milk or white chocolate → Dark chocolate

Beverages

• Drink water throughout the day
• Mix drinks and cocktails with sparkling water
• Use flavored sparkling water such as my favorite Clear American sodas
• Cut refined white sugar, simple syrup, and honey in ½
• Eggnog → Light eggnog, homemade, dairy free, cut sugar in ½ 

This will be an ongoing substitution list, so there may be a Part 2

What are your favorite holiday foods and substitutions?

I’d love to know!

Great resources:

https://blog.uvahealth.com/2020/11/09/healthy-holiday-cooking-substitutions/

https://www.health.com/food/healthy-holiday-dish-swaps

Photo Credits:

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva from Pexels