This is by far my favourite time of year. Call me cliche but I just love the Christmas lights on houses, cheesy music on the radio and endless excuses to drink hot chocolate. Come January 1, however, you can call me the Grinch as I’m beyond ready for winter to be over.
Despite being obsessed with the holiday season, I am also always super motivated during this time to stay on track with my health and fitness goals. Since my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, we normally go on a warm vacation during this year, so for me, December is equated to both holiday and bikini season. Sounds counterintuitive, right?
It becomes a challenge to completely stay on track with my goals during this time so I like to pick and choose where and when I will indulge. And luckily sometimes there can be healthier versions of my favourite holiday treats so I can have the best of both worlds.
Since I don’t have my own large repertoire of holiday recipes in my back pocket, I thought I would share with you some recipes from my favourite brands and/or bloggers – the nice healthy ones and some naughty indulgent ones too.
Nice: Crazy Good Coconut Oil “Chocolate” Bark by Oh She Glows
I often turn to Angela of Oh She Glows for healthy versions of my favourite treats as her vegan spin on recipes swap out the refined sugars and oils for more nutrient dense options. You can’t have a holiday in my opinion without some sort of chocolate bark and I love that this recipe is filled with healthy fats.
Naughty: Potato Pancakes by Smitten Kitchen
I mean, what is December really, without some latkes. I know there are healthier options out there like baked sweet potato pancakes but let’s get real, that aint no latke. These deep fried patties leave me full of nostalgia but also leave my clothes smelling like a deep frier for weeks. I like that the Smitten Kitchen takes it back to basics with this recipe complete with the sour cream on top!
Nice: Jewelled Quinoa Salad by Deliciously Ella
Tis the season for parties and potlucks and we all know how easy it can be to overeat at these events. If you are going to a potluck, feel free to prepare a healthier meal. You will be surprised to see how many guests will appreciate that. Plus your contribution can still be festive by using colourfully themed ingredients such as the red pomegranates and green beans in Deliciously Ella‘s quinoa salad. The creaminess of the tahini dressing also takes it from lame salad to rich holiday meal.
Naughty: Eggnog Cheesecake by Vitamix
When it comes to cheesecake, we’ve gotta keep it real. That means real ingredients like sugar, butter and cream cheese. None of the “light,” “sweetener,” crap that we pretend is healthy. It’s called cheese–cake for crying out loud. What were you expecting? Anyhow, just because it is the real deal and not the best for your bod (although great for your soul), doesn’t mean it can’t be super easy to make which is why I like this recipe by Vitamix. I don’t love eggnog as a drink on it’s own but give me a festive piece of cheesecake any day (k, not any day but a bite during the holidays works for me).
Nice: Majik doughnuts by Greenhouse Juice
Seriously could these doughnuts be cuter? Unlike cheesecake, I’m not the biggest doughnut fan, so I’m not as emotionally invested or angry about switching up an old-fashioned (pun intended) recipe for a healthier version when it comes to these desserts. All vegan and with the prettiest icing drizzle ever, these Chanukah themed babies are sure to be a hit at your next shindig, even if their jelly-filled competitors are there as well.
Nice: Christmas Classic Caesar – Walter Craft Caesar Mix
A party isn’t a party without a little booze and I am partial to caesars, much to DC’s dismay. And like cheesecake, there’s just no messing with a good ol’ caesar recipe. However this rich cocktail makes the nice list this year because instead of using plastic-bottled, high sodium/high sugar grocery store mix, Walter (a Canadian company might I add) has its own all natural, gluten-free, glass-bottled caesar mix. They also have the easiest recipe for the perfect Christmas cocktail: 1 oz vodka, 4 oz Walter Craft Caesar Mix (Mild Spice for me), 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 1 dash of hot sauce, squeeze of and fresh lemon juice. Rimmed with lemon juice and 1 sprig rosemary Walter Craft Caesar Rim and of course garnished with a sprig of rosemary for that holiday touch.
