Healthy Christmas Recipes
Here are some Healthy Christmas Recipes that you can indulge in with your whole family and still keep the extra pounds at bay.
Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower
This is a great side dish to go with all your Christmas preparations. If you are an ardent health freak, you can even replace the cauliflower with broccoli for a protein rich side dish.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower cut into florets- 1
- Sliced onions- 1
- Thyme (optional)- 4 sprigs
- Unpeeled garlic- 4 cloves
- Olive oil – 3 tablespoons
- Black pepper and salt for seasoning
- Grated parmesan cheese- ½ cup
Directions
- In a baking pan, toss the cauliflower with the garlic, onion, oil, thyme, pepper, and salt.
- Place it in an oven preheated to 425 degrees.
- Allow it to cook for 35 minutes or until it is just about done.
- Then, toss the Parmesan in and bake for 10 minutes more.
Smoked chicken with oranges and sweet potato
A wholesome meal with the family is what the Christmas spirit is all about. This simple chicken dish is beautifully balanced with proteins and healthy carbs. It also gives your body a good source of Vitamin C that helps keeps common winter health issues at bay.
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh with bone and skin on- 4 pieces
- Salt
- Grated garlic cloves – 4
- Fresh lemon juice- 3 tablespoons
- Olive oil- 5 tablespoons
- Sweet potato, scrubbed- 1
- Orange slices from one fruit along with one wedge
- Rinsed chickpeas- 1 can
- Olives- ½ cup
- Feta cheese- ½ cup
Directions
- In a large baking bowl, toss the chicken in with 2 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, and 2 tablespoon oil. Let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- When done, spoon the chicken pieces out and keep them aside.
- On a foil lined baking sheet, place the sweet potato and poke it with a fork. In an oven preheated to 450 degrees, roast the potatoes.
- In a large skillet, heat 1-tablespoon oil and keep the flame low. Cook the chicken in this oil until the skin turns dark brown in color and has some char.
- Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast it for about 20 minutes.
- In another skillet, cook the orange slices on both sides.
- In a small bowl, mix the chickpeas with the remaining oil, salt, and season with salt.
- Serve the chicken, sweet potato, cooked onions, and the chickpea together on a plate for a healthy Christmas meal.
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Christmas popcorn
This is a great snack for a fun family night. Whether you are getting together for a night of games or just want to watch a movie together, this healthy and tasty, low calorie snack is a must have on the menu.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil- 1 teaspoon
- Popcorn- 50 g
- Cocoa- 2 tablespoons
- Ground ginger- 1 teaspoon
- Orange zest- from 3 oranges
- Honey- 3 tablespoon
Directions
- In a saucepan, heat the oil for a few seconds on a medium flame. Choose a saucepan with a lid.
- Put the popcorn in the pan when the oil is warm. Cover the lid and let the corn pop. Shake it when halfway through to make sure no kernels are left behind.
- Pour the popped corn into a bowl.
- When it is still hot, sieve the ginger and cocoa powder over it. Mix them well.
- Now sprinkle the orange zest over and mix.
- Drizzle the honey on.
- Mix all the contents well and serve.
Spiced and baked hot fruit
This dish is a take on the traditional fruit casserole. It tastes just as good as a dessert but does not pack in the unhealthy sugars or fat. It is warm, cozy, and extremely satisfying. The fruits in the dessert give you a great boost of vitamins and fiber that help you keep the extra pounds at bay.
Ingredients
- Apple slices- 2 cups
- Pear slices- 2 cups
- Pineapple chunks- 1 cup (keep the juice aside)
- Lemon juice- 1 tablespoon
- Brown sugar- 1/3 cup
- Honey- 1 tablespoon
- Cinnamon- 1 teaspoon
- Nutmeg- ¼ teaspoon
- Melted butter- ½ stick
- Chopped walnuts- 1/3 cup
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degree F.
- In a bowl, mix the fruits with lemon juice and place aside.
- In another bowl, combine all the spices, sugar, honey and butter. Add the pineapple juice as well.
- Pour this mixture into the bowl of fruit and mix well till all the fruits have an even coat.
- Pour this into a baking dish and spread the fruits out evenly.
- Bake for 1 hour
- In a small pan, roast the walnuts and set aside.
- Once the fruits are done, serve with a topping of the roasted nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder.
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No bake peppermint fudge
This simple dessert is a great way to keep sugar cravings away this season. It takes very little time to prepare. The ingredients in the recipe give you an extra boost of energy. In addition to that, it also makes for a great box of sweets that you can give out as gifts.
Ingredients
- Raw almonds- ½ cup
- Pitted medjool dates- 1/3 cup
- Cocoa powder- 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
- Peppermint extract- A few drops
- Dark chocolate chips- 1 tablespoon
- Crushed peppermint- ½ cup
- Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon
Directions
- In a food processor, blend the almonds till they are chunky.
- Then, blend in the dates to make a sticky mixture.
- Once the dates are blended, add the vanilla and peppermint extract, cocoa powder and the coconut oil. Blend until you have a sticky, dough-like mixture.
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse the blender a few times.
- Pull out small portions of this dough and roll it into balls.
- Then place the rolled fudge balls in the fridge for about 30 minutes. You can even roll them in desiccated coconut to add more flavor to it.
