The traditional Christmas dinner contains turkey, Chester, Greek rice, farofa, mayonnaise and french toast. However during the holiday season it is common to have exaggerations that lead to weight gain, glycemia and cholesterol.
So here are a few little tricks that can help you make a healthier and less weight-conscious holiday dinner:
Main course
In the traditional Christmas dinner, "the star" is usually Peru or Chester roast, although they are healthy because it does not contain much fat in this form of preparation, the thigh and wings are the parts that contain more fat and that is why those who do not want to gain weight or need to control cholesterol or blood glucose should prefer the part of the chest.
Accompaniments
White rice can be traded for wild rice or brown rice but you can also increase by putting nuts, spices and herbs to season. The banana farofa is a less caloric option and much healthier than the traditional one made with bacon or sausage and full of oil. Instead of making the traditional vegetable salad with potatoes, carrots, peas and olives washed down with mayonnaise you can swap for yogurt sauce that has less fat and is a healthier option.
Check out the recipe for a delicious brown rice with vegetables and herbs
Salad
The simple green salad of lettuce, basil and spinach leaves is liberated, you can also put tomato and onion without problems, but be careful with the accompaniments such as cheeses and fried shrimp, which although they match well with the salad and with that season of the year, has more fats.
Drinks
Alcoholic beverages consumed in moderation are beneficial to health, but they all contain too many calories due to alcohol, so you can exchange beer and caipirinha for a glass of champagne or sparkling wine. But 1 glass of wine at supper does not hurt. Soft drinks are not advised at any time of the year, but you can make your own 'soda' using sparkling water and fruit, giving an enhanced in flavored water. Have some great recipes here for your supper to be a success.
The amount of food you put in the dish makes all the difference so check out some super simple tricks but that will save you some good calories and fats in the following video:
Desserts
The flagship of desserts is the fried French toast that is available for you to eat all day long but this is a crime against your health. So you can make another version with the baked french toast and eat only as dessert.
Fruits are the best options and you can opt for dishes with roasted, cooked, beaten or even fresh fruit. Dried fruits like raisins, walnuts and hazelnuts are also great for health because they are good sources of fat but they also have lots of calories and so if you are not looking to get fat at Christmas and New Year, eat a small portion a day . A good tip is to put a handful of nuts in a glass and eat only this amount per day.
Sweet desserts such as pudding, delicacy, paella, sweet rice and cakes are also frequent in a traditional Christmas dinner but they contain a lot of sugar and practically no healthy nutrients and so do not overdo the dose. If you feel like eating, try to put everything in a dessert-only dish and eat only that amount, without repeating the dish.
Take a look at this incredible delicious pineapple diet
Digestive
In some houses the port wine is served as a digestive, this being a great option, since your dose that should be only 50 ml is respected. But if you can not or do not like to drink alcohol, you can exchange this wine for a tea with digestive properties like fennel, for example.
To detox the next day
By following these tips it is easier not to feel so heavy and to have a bloated belly at the end of the year, but if you have slipped here or there and you think you need an extra help to detox, the next morning try taking 1 glass of pineapple juice with mint, for example.
