Christmas is a time were we all indulge in a few too many chocolates, have one to many tipples which often results in regrets come January. Why not try these healthy, gut loving lower fat tips which aim to help reduce the guilt of over-indulgence in our festive feasts.
- Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk instead of full fat milk: Sauces such as cheese sauce, breads sauce, custard are served with other foods and so you won’t realise the difference in taste.
- Use low fat spread instead of butter for making pastries.
- Use whole meal flour for pastries and cakes: This will increase the fibre content making you fuller for longer, help to main your digestive health whilst also being able to indulge.
- Use natural fruit juice instead of adding the full amount of sugar to a recipe (for example look at the recipe for scones in our October 3rd Blog.)
- Serve frozen natural yoghurt instead of ice cream.
- Opt for low fat cheese or cheese with fruit such as Wensleydale with cranberries.
- Use smaller bowls to serve chocolates and sweets and smaller plates for dinner: As a nation our portion sizes have got bigger and we tend to fill our plates and finish them when we actually do not need to eat as much. This is especially true during the Christmas period.
- Make your own cranberry sauce: Shop bought sauces tend to contain more sugar and preservatives. Why not try to make your own, this way you can control the amount of sugar you add and it will also be additive/preservative free.
- Feeling sluggish after you delicious Christmas Dinner? Why not take a stroll outside? Yes we are in the winter season but wrap up warm and enjoy the crisp air instead of slouching by the T.V. Mentally this will make you feel more alert as well as help you burn some calories.
- Don’t over buy: Christmas can be expensive and we tend to buy more food than is needed. Write a shopping list and stick to it, that way you will save some money which is great at this time of year as well as there will be less food for you to over indulge on.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!