The most difficult part about getting through the holidays is staying on track with your dietary routine. Desserts, starchy foods and oversized portions are the main causes for concern. The good news is that there are alternative ingredients and foods that will allow you to modify some of your favorite traditional dishes and turn them into healthier eats. Here is a helpful recipe guide to use while mixing up nutritious, healthy dishes for Thanksgiving.

RECIPE GUIDE

1. Potatoes – Use sweet potatoes instead of golden or russet potatoes. Eat them with cinnamon and clarified butter for a sweet treat.
2. Milk/Cream – Use almond or coconut milk and coconut cream for your recipes. Using a dairy replacement can keep you from those uncomfortable side effects of the lactose and casein found in regular cows milk. Also, make sure that you choose an unsweetened version.
3. Cheese – Instead of using cow or goats milk, try using a dairy free alternative like Daiya cheese. I have completely replaced all other cheese with this brand and I absolutely love it. It can be found at your local health store and even chain stores like Whole Foods.
4. Gluten-free flour/ bread: Bread is usually on everyone’s table for the holidays and it is a staple in many recipes so I don’t want you to feel like you have to completely give it up. Try substituting your regular whole wheat bread for gluten free bread. You can even use gluten-free flour for baking.
5. Alcohol – Try to stay away from alcohol as much as possible. I know it may be tempting but you will want to try and substitute alcoholic drinks with sparkling water and lime or even a sparkling cider.
6. Rice – Use whole grain brown or wild rice. White rice and pasta is full of starch and sugar that can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar level. White pasta, white rice and flour all have a high glycemic index (GI) level, so using the low GI foods that are made from brown rice, legumes, sweet potato and vegetables will help to regulate the insulin levels in your body optimizing energy throughout the day.
7. Sugar – Try adding flavor to your dishes naturally. Stay away from white cane sugar and replace it with xylitol, erythritol or stevia, natural sweeteners without the calories and free from chemicals.
8. Desserts – Head over to your local health food store and look around for gluten and dairy free treats. If none are available, try going online for easy recipes.

MY HOLIDAY FAVORITES

• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dice two sweet potatoes and mix with half of a red onion, black pepper and a little bit of cinnamon.
2. Cook for 45 minutes on a non-stick pan or one lined with parchment paper
3. Whisk together ½ cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp molasses, cinnamon and chives
4. In a separate bowl mix baby arugula and thinly sliced radishes
5. Serve right out of the oven and prepare it all together on each individual plate to keep the arugula from wilting.

• Chia Seed pudding: A great new homemade dessert for the whole family. Its quick and easy, just mix

1. Organic Sprouted Chia seeds (Available at my office- so delicious you can eat it out of the bag!)

2. Almond or coconut milk

3. A sweetener of your choice – xylitol (replacement sugar) with shredded coconut and cinnamon

4. Cover and refrigerate for 7 hours or overnight

5. Enjoy! – Your dessert should have the consistency of tapioca pudding. Makes for a great afternoon snack or a perfect dessert.

• The Day- After Meal: One of my favorite parts of a Thanksgiving meal isn’t the Thanksgiving meal at all, its the “day after” meal. That Friday, I love to use all of my leftovers to make another great dish for the table: turkey and vegetable soup.

I always use seasonal vegetables from the farmers market and vegetable or chicken stock. Add your own spices and mix up the vegetables and you have a delicious, hearty, homemade meal.

I offer sprouted chia seeds and many other options for homemade recipes at the Wellness For Life Center. You can  contact Frank at the front desk at 310-315-1514 or wellnesshelp@live.com .

As always, be sure to eat in moderation no matter what ingredients the meal consists of. Use a glass to-go container and enjoy your leftovers as lunch or dinner the next day.