The holidays create a lot of stress and pressure for some families and individuals; when you combine that mood with the festive foods that appear this time of year, it can be a disaster in the making. In fact, studies have shown that stress can lead to greater consumption of sweet, fatty foods – not difficult to find at office Christmas parties, school holiday events, or a friend’s gift exchange. While more chocolate or a few more of Grandma’s Christmas cookies might make you feel better in the moment, eating those kinds of foods actually might actually result in other health consequences you weren’t expecting.
According to the World Health Organization, “Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health.” Although you may not have a problem with an expanding waistline, even a person who looks healthy may be at risk for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and others if they are not considering their food choices carefully and staying active.
Making wise food choices does not necessarily entail a strict diet or swearing off Grandma’s cookies – you can still enjoy partaking in family traditions, while having a greater awareness of how your choices will affect your health.

Quick Guide to Healthy Holiday Foods

While stress can provoke excessive or unhealthy eating, the foods you choose can also trigger stress, creating an unvirtuous circle. The Stress Management Society offers a helpful list of foods known to trigger or aggravate stress to put on your ‘naughty,’ or at least ‘not too much’ list:

• Caffeine: like tea, coffee, cocoa, and energy drinks
• Fried foods and highly processed meals, like fast food and carryout
• Butter, cheese, and other high-fat dairy products
• More than 8 ounces of meat and shellfish (daily)
• Sugar (more than 6 teaspoons daily)
• Alcohol (1 drink for women of all ages and men over 65 and 2 drinks for men under 65 per day)
• High sugar beverages, like soda, soft drinks, and chocolate drinks
• High-fat snacks, even seemingly healthy ones, like almonds, macadamias and other nuts with high saturated fat content
• Coconut oil (if used in most areas of cooking, in small amounts, this shouldn’t be a trigger)

Everything in Moderation?

“Everything in moderation” is an oft-recited mantra during the holiday season and although having a few holiday treats is a good way to prevent binging, the saying can also be used as a justification for eating things that might be better left untouched. Only you can decide which foods are a worthwhile indulgence, but we have a few tips to help you make good decisions and feel better.

1. Substitute for sugar – the average healthy adult should only get 10% of their daily calories from sugar, according to the World Health Organization guidelines, which amounts to about 6 teaspoons of sugar. But before you go putting those teaspoons in your morning coffee, you should be aware that many of the common foods you eat may have hidden sugars that count towards those six. For example, a normal fruit-flavored yogurt often contains about four and a half teaspoons of sugar and a single can of Coke contains about eight teaspoons of sugar. But before you grab a diet Coke, you should know that many of the artificial sweeteners that are found in ‘lite’ products can be detrimental to health, like aspartame, sucralose, and others. These sweeteners are often chemically altered so they are not broken down by the body and can create toxic byproducts. Rather than using commercial sweeteners then, opt for less sugar in your cookies and use mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce to make up the difference.
2. Share – Christmas (and the holidays, generally) is for sharing! So next time you get a craving for chocolate chip cookies or your family’s spice cake, take half the batch to your neighbors, your office, or the nice older woman at the end of your street. If you don’t have a whole cake in the house, chances are you and your family won’t be tempted to eat the whole thing.
3. Making less – rather than doubling your recipe because “it’s everybody’s favorite,” make a single batch and savor it. Spreading 12 cookies over a week will reduce your intake and increase your enjoyment of each special treat.
4. Last but not least, you can make healthy alternatives to popular holiday foods that are just as delicious. While it does take time to re-train taste buds that are used to extra sugar and deep-fried delicacies, taking small steps toward better health can pay huge dividends both now and in the future. We’ve included a few recipes below to help you bring some healthy holiday cheer to your next party or potluck.

Happy Holidays!
 

Maple Almond Butter Cookies

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Ready in: 20 min
Yield: 20 cookies
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (use Grade B instead of Grade A for a more pronounced maple syrup)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon maple or almond extract
• 1 cup whole-spelt or whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
2. In a large bowl, mix the almond butter, maple syrup, oil and extract until well blended.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the almonds and stir just until combined. Let sit for five minutes.
5. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place on Silpat or a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Flatten to about 1/3 of an inch.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. Let the cookies cool and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Courtesy of Texanerin Baking

Mashed Cauliflower (a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes)

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower, cut into small pieces (about a pound)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (14 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth (or beef broth)
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped (or green onion)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley(chopped)

Directions: