ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC, MU LAMBDA CHAPTER
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Guide to a Healthy Holiday Dinner
HOW TO CREATE A HEALTHY HOLIDAY DINNER
Let’s start with a few items we can ditch. A traditional turkey dinner is often filled with ingredients that you want to avoid and keep out of your kitchen. Foods to Avoid 1. Alcohol I understand cocktails can be a staple for family events and parties, but consuming large amounts of alcohol can lead to many health issues and a lot of guests that can’t remember how delicious their dinner was! There are plenty of alternatives to enjoy throughout your holiday get together. More on those alternatives shortly. 2. Gluten Let’s face it, gluten is in everything. Everything you don’t make from scratch, that is. Even if you are purchasing packaged items marked “gluten free”, I bet the ingredients they contain still aren’t something worth writing home about. Gluten can add to that bloated and lethargic feeling most people experience after a holiday dinner. With growing sensitivities to the ingredient, it’s best to keep it off your menu so everyone can enjoy all your tasty dishes. 3. Refined Sugar Typically, at the end of a holiday feast, everyone reaches for a sugary treat to bring them back to life. But that spike in sugar will lead everyone even further into
a zombie-like haze fighting over that last drip of coffee (ok, maybe a little dramatic, but you get the point). Try to create a delicious dessert with naturally sweet, whole foods like dates, maple syrup and raw honey. 4. Damaged Oils Cooking unstable oils and fats damages our health and there’s no room for them in your holiday dinner. Use coconut oil or organic, grass fed butter for your dishes that require heat. Save olive and nut oils for dressings and cold dishes. For more info, check out this handy guide to choosing healthy cooking oils. HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOLIDAY SWAPS When you’re avoiding certain items, it’s best to look for healthy alternatives and get creative with the different ingredients you’re swapping in and out. Here are just a few: 1. Use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes Even though white potatoes are a source of potassium, Vitamin C and fiber they can cause blood sugar imbalances (and they’re not that healthy when most people mash them with butter and cream during the holidays). Go for sweet potatoes that are very blood sugar balancing, plus they’re rich in Vitamin A, a vitamin that is great for boosting the immune system. Continued on next page
MU LAMBDA TORCH 2021
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