Healthy Eating

Healthy Holidays

Story & photos by Ashley Sornsin

Cheers to a New Year and to the same amazing you, the you that desires to make and implement eating healthy meals and snacks once and for all! This resolution time of year brings up thoughts of having to give up certain “forbidden” foods. Instead of avoiding foods, put the focus on adding more whole, real foods, primarily plants (vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds) which will naturally result in eating less processed foods. Embrace the New Year by fueling your body with the best, so you can feel your best! Not sure where to start? Use these tips and recipes to start making and eating healthier meals and snacks today!

1. Take your favorite recipes and remake them by making simple swaps and substitutions. Try swapping out meat for beans, lentils or chickpeas, to add plant based protein along with vegetables any chance you get! Make your focus with meals on how you can add in nutritious foods. Take this pasta dish for example, it uses chickpea pasta (which is a great source of plant based protein), which adds in a hefty dose of vegetables along with tomato sauce. Skip the cheese, but add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, which is a plant based product that has a delicious cheesy flavor! This one dish pasta recipe is super easy to make, the swaps and substitutions are delicious and it’s guaranteed to be a meal you’ll love!

2. When it comes to snacks, there are so many whole foods (again, mainly plants) that are easy to grab and go! Charcuterie boards are still popular, so when snacking, think about creating a variety of healthy options, adding in all the plants and whole foods possible. Think olives, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and of course dips for veggies. The best healthy options for dips are plant based (like hummus), which you can find at the store or you can make your own. Try this spinach and artichoke dip for example, it uses whole, real ingredients (it’s also dairy free), all of the ingredients are good for you and it comes together in just a few minutes!

Whether a meal or a snack, each can be revised with a healthier spin, it’s a matter of looking outside the box and choosing the best, least processed option. Now is the time to take the step, making healthy additions, swaps and substitutions that result in the healthiest meals and snacks to feed yourself and your family. Don’t focus on what you can’t or shouldn’t eat, but rather the small changes you can make to the meals and snacks you love, making them healthier. Here’s to a New Year, fueling and feeling your best! n

Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip

(dairy free)

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews (soak and drain) • ¼ cup nutritional yeast • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed • 1/2 teaspoon pepper • 2 teaspoons lemon juice • 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk or water • 10 – 14 oz. spinach, frozen or fresh (thaw and remove extra moisture if frozen) • 1 can (14oz.) artichoke hearts in brine, drained and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°. Soak Cashews: Soak, covered with 1 inch of very hot water for 5 minutes to help soften them up so they blend ultra creamy. Dice the artichoke hearts and prep the spinach. Cashew Cheese: Using blender, add the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic and onion powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and liquids to the bowl and process until smooth, about 3 minutes or so. Assemble: In a medium sized baking dish, add the spinach and artichoke hearts, pour the cashew cheese overtop and mix to combine. Bake: Place in the oven, covered with foil for 10 minutes, remove cover and bake another 10 minutes.

Super Easy Veggie Spaghetti

• 8 oz. Banza pasta or gluten free pasta • 1 ½ cups marinara sauce • 1 cup water (may need ½ cup more) • ¼ cup chopped onion • ½ cup chopped zucchini • ¼ tsp each: salt, garlic powder, pepper, dried basil

• 1 cup spinach

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 9 x 9 casserole dish with olive oil, add pasta and make sure noodles are coated with olive oil. Pour liquids over noodles, add veggies and seasonings. Mix around. Top with greens and make sure noodles are covered with liquid. Bake uncovered for 30 min.

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8th & Minnesota, Sioux Falls, SD • 336-7798 • www.mahlanders.com