Low-carb meals may be trickier over the holiday season as people yearn for their traditional favorites.
Turkey is a traditional holiday crowd pleaser. Fortunately for the low-carber, turkey also fits nicely into our food requirements. Its protein and healthy fats are basted with love ... and butter.
Ham is great because you can throw it in the oven and forget about it while you're trying to do a million other things for your holiday get-together.
But beware of packets of sugary glazes, and leave off the pineapple slices, pretty though they are.
Do you have a hard time staying away from the mashed potatoes at a holiday table?
Nobody is going to mistake a winter squash for a potato, but a nicely prepared baked squash with butter, salt, pepper and parsley can create a warm glow within.
Green beans are a favorite at the holiday season, maybe in part because they are so versatile.
You can eat them plain, or just add a little butter. Steam them, bake them or grill them.
Toss green beans with sliced almonds, or mix them with other cooked vegetables.
Believe it or not, cauliflower is a low-carb food. Which is fortunate since holiday meals for many people can be a carbohydrate-laden heaven ... or torture.
But steamed or baked cauliflower can help you steer clear of foods that aren't good for you.
If you think white cauliflower is boring, check out the purple, green and orange varieties and dress up your table in color, compliments of the cauliflower.
Pumpkin pie is not out of the question for a low-carb diet, if you go for specialty pie crusts and if you use artificial sweeteners.
But that's not the only dessert you can make with pumpkin. A low-carb pudding with dollops of real whipped cream is pretty tasty, too.
And for the first course, you can make a creamy, delicious pumpkin soup. Top it with some crushed red chili pepper and cream for a real treat.
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, they all make the low-carb life a little sweeter. Combine some berries with some whipped cream in a parfait cup and you've really got something.
If you have frozen berries, you can put them in cream, whipped or otherwise, before they're fully thawed and enjoy something that resembles ice cream.
Let's bust the myth that eating low-carb means never eating vegetables, ever. Starchy vegetables may need to be barred from the table, but feel free to enjoy the rest of the veggie world.
And you can add sliced meat, full-fat cheese and sour cream along with generous splashes of assorted vinegars and oils to make vegetable dishes that much more interesting and filling.
Slices of broccoli, celery, carrots, peppers and cucumber taste great when you drench them in a low-carb dip.
Cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese can stand alone, or you can add your favorite seasonings. Full-fat versions only, if you please.
Mixed nuts are a classic low-carb snack. Put out bowls of them along with some nutcrackers, and help yourself to a healthy snack.
You won't miss the chips and pretzels, and you won't have to go hungry either.
Tags: low-carb, holidays, holiday season, turkey, ham, squash, veggies, berries, nuts
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