It is that time of the year, when the sugar, drinks and food come out in full force. It seems like everywhere you turn, someone is trying to offer you cookies and holiday treats…which is nice, but we all find ourselves in that after holiday situation of trying to reverse all that eating and drinking.
We think you should enjoy all the holiday foods, but maybe with a few substitutions to make your favorite recipes a little heart healthier and to help avoid sugar crashes!
A few ideas:
- Find cookie/dessert recipes with an oatmeal, rather than a flour base! This is a great way to get in some complex carbs that digest slowly giving you quality long lasting energy rather than a quick sugar high followed by a crash.
- Try substituting any recipe that calls for milk chocolate chips, with dark chocolate chips…or even cocoa nibs! These alternatives have less sugar and higher quality quantities of the actual cocoa plant which benefits your blood pressure and helps with inflammation, but still has the chocolatey goodness 🙂
- Consider substituting butter, vegetable oil, and crisco (in recipes that are appropriate) for higher quality fats like coconut oil or avocado oil! These guys have omega fats that support your heart and joint health and are often quick and easy (many even not noticeable) changes that make a big difference.
See below, a couple of great alternatives to the holiday classics that are a better choice without missing out on the fun! Obviously, a bowl of steamed broccoli would be the best choice but that’s not fun!
Feel free to click on the links and let us know what you think if you try them!
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Better Choice Snowball Cookies!
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups! – You could sub for Almond butter here!
Wishing you all a happy and joyous holiday season, filled with love, family and friends.