Christmas is around the corner and almost everyone is gearing up for it in various ways. Some people are busy searching for gifts to put under the Christmas tree. Others have started putting up their decorations. The one part of Christmas that usually gets left for the last moment is the food. Now when I say food, I don’t mean the sweets. The meals require preparation and time. The Christmas dinner is always the highlight of the day and yet most people leave the planning involved in it for the last minute.
THE NEED FOR PLANNING AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE
The whole Christmas season is a season of temptations. Now these temptations are dangerous for people who already have health issues. The diabetics and the people who have cardiac issues are probably the people who suffer the most. Temptations are all over the place. Sweets aren’t the only consideration. The dinner table is also full of forbidden pleasures.
People with health problems are the only ones who suffer. So many people stick to a diet and exercise immensely to fit into the perfect dress on Christmas. The temptations however can pull everyone asunder.
If you are one of these people, then planning a healthy Christmas dinner should be at the top of your list. Remember just because it is healthy doesn’t mean that the dinner won’t be tasty!
TIPS FOR PLANNING A HEALTHY CHRISTMAS DINNER
There are so many tips that one can use for planning a healthy Christmas dinner. Most of these tips are simple and easy to use.
- Presentation isn’t everything but without presentation even the tastiest dishes will seem unattractive. A lot of thought goes into how you want to present your accomplishments in the kitchen. Get creative, try different styles and engage the rest of the family to help you.
- Remember that colour matters. One of the most important facts that a person learns about food is the value of colour. The more colourful a dish is made, the more attractive it will always seem. In honour of the festive season, the use of festive colours can bring much cheer. Form a snowman in the salad and Santa Claus on the pie. The Christmas tree is an easy one to incorporate in almost all places.
- Choose the dishes wisely. Take everyone’s food tastes into account. For example, if someone does not like broccoli then don’t put broccoli on the menu. Grilled food can replace fried food. Choose lean meat over fatty meat and use healthier oils in smaller quantities. All this effort adds up immensely.
- Variety is the key. Everyone looks at the Christmas table with a look of awe and delight. That is something that you want to maintain as it adds to the excitement of the meal. A well spread table is one that attracts attention.
- Start in advance. The preparation can get overwhelming but many hands make light work. A lot of the preparation can be done before so that on the actual day the work load diminishes considerably. Laughter and fun needs to be part of the process and when the whole family joins in to help the meal always tastes better.
- Order healthy takeaway to fill in the what you were too tired to make.
CHOICES… CHOICES… TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT WAY TO COOK THAT TURKEY
- -We all want the turkey on the dinner table but did you know that you can cut down a few calories if you serve the turkey without the skin? Yes! That is where most of the calories hide. As you cook the turkey the fat will drain out. Remove it and you’ve saved yourself from a lot of unhealthy stuff.-The stuffing is another place where find the calories chasing us. A chestnut nut or a fruit based stuffing works much better than a sausage meat. So, try and work out how you can use this to your advantage.-We all love potatoes but we do tend to drench them in oil as we bake. Skim on the oil or add butter once they are roasted. You will find that they taste as good.
-Use skimmed milk to make your sauce.
As you can see, every dish can be made to suit your needs. You need to be a little innovative and you may need a little more preparation. In fact, a change in your way of cooking can surprise your palate and those of others. It may just be the welcome change that everyone is looking for! If you aren’t a great cook or don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen, then order in.