Create Magical Holiday Meals

2011 by Ava

I have trust that your holiday meals are going to be MAGICAL! I trust that you are the type of person who is evolving and moving closer to experiencing joy and the best health possible. Interactions with your family members will be smooth and caring. The food will be aromatic and enjoyable. There will be plenty of options for you to eat, even if you have food sensitivities. You know how to make food choices that will speed you to your health goals. You know when to stop eating. Your potluck dish will be loved, and friends won’t even know that it’s made a little differently.

 

With that said, I’d like to offer you 5 new ideas to make a nourishing holiday environment and experience.

1. If you’re going to a potluck, bring 2 dishes. One can be an entrée that you love and that will satisfy all of your dietary needs. Choose something that you would be perfectly happy eating if it were the only thing you will eat that night. You never know if the host will have food that works for your needs, so bring something that you can eat and share. Then suggest some new recipes for their next dinner party. Also bring a healthy dessert, like tapioca pudding sweetened just with the coconut milk it was made in. Fruit dipped in chocolate is great, and so are baked pears with cinnamon.

2. Focus on what feels good, but isn’t a crutch. Eating a whole bag of chips or half of a pie might feel good in the moment, but not for long. What I mean is to look for other ways that you can stay positive. Look for delicious spoonfuls of something that you love to eat, and also what creates true joy in your life and in your body. If you need ideas and inspiration, visit the blog posts about the 30 Days of Wonderful  project that I am writing about during the month of December.

3. Embrace a few new foods now, and continue to love them all the way through the holiday season. Use cinnamon on top of hot rice cereal or oatmeal. Ginger has been going in to my smoothies to provide warming qualities. This way, the smoothies feel great, even on colder days. Ginger also helps to break down foods that are high in protein, like the beans and meat that many people crave in the cold months. Try more raw cauliflower, which is easy to eat and pack as a snack when you’re away from home. It has anti-cancer properties, and helps to stimulate liver function.

4. Reach out for meal inspiration from other cultures. Share what you learned when you ate a meal in one of your favorite countries, and bring home a tradition from that experience. I still stuff bell peppers with Brie cheese and grill them like I did on an organic farm in Geneva. One of the reasons I enjoy gluten-free and dairy-free crepes is because a woman from the Czech Republic made me what she called “egg pancakes” one morning several years ago.

5. Plan more parties in the months of January and February, even if you have to make up a special occasion.Seasonal depression may creep in after the build up of the holidays, especially if you eat high stress foods. Find a reason to interact with friends. Throw a soup party where you and friends come together to make 5 different batches of soup. Have a squash cooking party with a prize for the most creative squash stuffing. Have a contest and food photo shoot for the most beautiful plating of a dish made with kale.