Hack Your Holidays

Helpful hints, tricks, and recipes to Hack Your Holidays!

• Hydrate! You may mistake your dehydration for hunger, leading you to overeat and not address the dehydration still at hand.
• Shop ahead for shelf stable food items.
• Buy your baked goods! If you’re not a baker don’t spend your time stressing about what to make and if it will work- just order it from a local shop!
• Fill up on the healthy foods first- and have a glass of water or another non-sugary non-alcoholic beverage to start the night
• Take a walk around the block. Stimulate your digestion with light movement.
• Eat at home or stop somewhere for a real food fuel up before making your appearance at the big event!
• Don’t beat yourself up if you make a food choice that’s a little less than healthy. Indulge, just don’t over indulge. One slip up or one unhealthy meal won’t ruin your progress on your health goals. Just get back on track in the morning!
• ​Set a budget and stick to it. Keeping your finances in check will relieve your stress during and after the holidays.

Gluten Free & Vegan Quick Bread This recipe is an all time favorite! It is easy and versatile, making it an awesome recipe to keep on hand. I have made this with grated zucchini to pumpkin, or as we are having tonight- sweet potatoes! It also makes a lovely savory bread by omitting all but 1-2 tablespoons of the sugar and adding in savory herbs and spices.
Beet Hummus  Holiday parties seem to be about over indulging. Sometimes when you take away something you feel like you’re missing out and then end up overeating. These recipes will walk you through making hummus and adding in more of the good stuff like veggies and supportive herbs and spices. Don’t be scared of the beets! They’re good for the heart and have been shown to improve athletic performance and recovery. They lend a lovely color to make your veggie platter pop! Golden beets and turmeric will give your dip a golden glow and help with inflammation from a little too much celebrating.
Quinoa Kale Salad  This hearty side is great for potlucks and restricted diets! The base is simple, just kale and quinoa. Add in some nuts, then add something sweet and colorful like berries or pomegranate arils, and finish with a bright dressing. This is a nice way to use leftover quinoa or another grain. If you have some extra time, massaging the kale and allowing it to rest overnight allows for a more appealing texture.
Pumpkin Pie Bars This recipe may be paleo, but it’s not too far off from the pie grandma used to make! The only big difference in the crust and the swap of unrefined coconut sugar for the classic white sugar. Coconut sugar has a richer flavor, more similar to brown sugar and will add depth to the flavor so you won’t feel like you’re missing out. The crust is a simple blend of almond and coconut flours and ghee. You can use gluten free graham crackers or a commercially made crust too! Whatever best suits your needs.

By adding in some extra veggie and a lot of water you WILL survive this holiday season!