6 Simple ways to Healthy(er) Christmas Feast for kids… and adults
Yes! It is possible to make even a Christmas feast healthier and even greener. I know most of you out there grew up with a Noche Buena defined by Lechon, morcon, decadent leche flan, yummy!!! But if you have the mind to (or forced to) a healthier lifestyle, even your Christmas dinner can be just as yummy, festive, and satisfying as well as healthier.
1. Go for the greens
Literally, go for the greens. Add a salad to your menu, preferably with a vinaigrette but any preferred dressing would serve you and your kids well.
No recipe required just mix in your favorite veggies and fruits for a simple no fuss salad. Then add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, that's it!
2. Go organic
It’s super expensive, like a kilo of chicken is roughly P400 as compared to the regular (artificial-hormone laden- not my words hehehe) chicken. But you know every last morsel would be good for you and your kids… hey it’s Christmas, indulge a little.
This is just soooo yummy! moist, tender and flavorful. Ate Gleny's rosemary garlic roast chicken, have to remember to ask for that recipe.
3. Go Light
We had grilled labahita and baked lapu-lapu with kefir leaves. I was just so engrossed I forgot to take a snapshot of the fish. I’ll try to recreate it in a later post.
4. Think whole
As in whole wheat. We are so lucky now that there are already available whole wheat products in the market. It’s not only bread but pasta as well. The price is not as bad as the chicken, I believe its roughly P80 for a half Kilo of San Remo pasta.
If you haven't tried whole wheat pasta it may come as a surprise because it has a flavor of its own. To me its great with a full-bodied sauce like puttanesca. But it was even better with the pesto. I know it's not just me, because that's what the kids ate! Thank you Tita Gil.
5. Go for less sugary treats
The kids just loved this! Of course, we can always serve cake and other Christmasy-sinful treats, but they can always have that in another house. So what we did was to make our own gingerbread cookies. Using fresh dough from whole wheat flour (did we use organic, Tita Tams?) and decorated it with nuts and fruits.
It's not about being perfect...
It's just about having fun at Christmas.
The finished cookies waiting to be baked. We used cashews, raisins, sunflower seeds, (would you believe) dried ripe mango strips, dessicated coconut, cherries... and choco chips (I know it's not what you can call "healthy" but its the fun part of the cookie, hehehe)
It may be more of a western tradition about making cookies but aren't these adorable! And the kids enjoyed the project! and the eating after.
6. Simple Christmas thanksgiving
What is a feast without thanksgiving, right? We held hands, said our thanks…
lighted a candle...
and told a Christmas story
I hope you have a great 2010!
Be happy. Be Healthy. Be Whole
Make the Quaint things count,
Theresa
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Comments on 6 Simple ways to Healthy(er) Christmas Feast for kids… and adults
4:47 pm
Chocolate is healthy, too, in small doses!
Or you can use dark chocolate chips right, for more flavonoids?
2:27 pm
Just the way to think! : ) I just wish I could pretend we used dark choco, hehehe I just got the only choco chips I could find at 10pm the night before hahaha