Sunday, November 18, 2012

6 Tips To Prepare Healthy Holiday Foods

Brought to you from the Pink Kitchen, for breast cancer survivors and those who love them!

by Lisa Grey, Guest Blogger, Cancer Survivor and Thriver and Founder of the Pink Kitchen  

The holiday season brings with it many joys; and one of our favorite ways to share joy with our loved ones is through sharing food: parties, family meals, and sweets passed around at the office or the neighborhood.

I don’t mean to be a Grinch – but all of this momentary joy wreaks havoc on our bodies.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner - and all the culinary treats it brings – this may be the very last thing you want to hear. But hear me out, friends. I would never go so far as to suggest that you give up all holiday goodies. That would be setting you – and me! – up for failure. From time to time, we all want to indulge in a famous holiday cookie that takes us back to childhood, or perhaps a special dish that warms us on a chilly holiday evening.

But there are a few ways that we can ease the burden on our bodies. While you can’t control what other people serve, you do have some control over what you serve in your own home, or what you bring to someone else’s table. And there truly are ways to eat scrumptious foods that also happen to be healthy. Here are six tips to get you started.

Fresh cranberry sauce is easier than you think. It also tastes much fresher, and has a vibrant, gorgeous color. Try the easy recipe below, and you may never go back to your old cranberry sauce!

Use vegetarian broths to make gravy. Meat broths tend to be high in fat and calories. On the other hand, vegetable broths are low in calories and fat, but are still full of flavor. This brings us to our next tip.

Use millet flour to thicken gravies and sauces. Millet flour is yellow in color. It is much healthier for you than all-purpose flour because it comes from a whole grain, providing nutrients such as . You can find millet flour in healthier grocery stores such as Whole Foods or online.

Rosemary Lemon Gravy on Turnip Mashed Potatoes
Mash some turnips with your potatoes. Sound crazy? Be brave and give it a try. Turnips are very low in carbs. When blended with potatoes, you may not even taste them. But you are adding nutrition, as well as lowering calories.

Give your sweet potatoes a healthy makeover. Put down those marshmallows. Sweet potatoes, as their name suggests, are naturally sweet. Just fill a casserole dish with chopped sweet potatoes. Then add cinnamon, coconut oil, and just a touch of maple syrup, agave syrup, or brown rice syrup.

Substitute coconut oil for butter. We all know that butter clogs our arteries. But coconut oil promotes a healthy heart. There are two types of coconut oil. One is unrefined, which tastes like coconut. The other is naturally refined. Refined coconut oil, which has no flavor, can be used in place of butter in any of your savory dishes.

If you follow the tips above, you can satisfy your craving for a hearty holiday meal, while taking care of your body at the same time. If you think about it, that’s the best holiday gift you can give yourself. After all, the healthier you are, the more holidays you will likely be around to celebrate!

Easy Fresh Cranberry Sauce
(Serves approximately 8)
Ingredients:
1 bag fresh cranberries
2/3 c. pitted dates
1 orange, peeled
1 apple, cored and cut into quarters
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. allspice

Core the apple.
Peel the orange, removing seeds.
Place dates in food processor. Pulse until they start to break down.
Add the orange, apple, cranberries,and spices.
Blend until combined, but slightly chunky.
Enjoy!

Lisa Grey, founder of the Pink Kitchen, knows a thing or two about nutrition. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Lisa used nutritious foods and herbs to help her attack the disease. Her goal was to do whatever she could to destroy the cancer and keep it away.
Since then, Lisa has had a passion for sharing simple, quick, and delicious ways to eat nutritiously…not only for breast cancer survivors, but for anyone overwhelmed with the prospect of healthy eating. Out of this passion, Pink Kitchen was born.

To browse holiday gift ideas for cancer patients please visit Lots To Live For, Inc. at: http://www.lotstolivefor.com/category/cancer_gifts