01/6Healthy recipes for holidays It’s the season of merriment when we sit together with our loved ones and enjoy the big family feasts that involve a lot of treats and drinks. Most of these delicious dishes are loaded with carbohydrates and have fewer nutrients, which are super-important for a […]
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01/6Healthy recipes for holidays
It’s the season of merriment when we sit together with our loved ones and enjoy the big family feasts that involve a lot of treats and drinks. Most of these delicious dishes are loaded with carbohydrates and have fewer nutrients, which are super-important for a healthy body. This can lead to a gain o a few kgs that makes you lethargic and a couch potato. Most people think that healthy dishes are always boring and thus they tend to avoid such preparations during the festive season. How about a few healthy yet mouth-watering dishes that will make your Christmas and New Year celebrations more interesting? Well, we spoke to Dietitian Garima Goyal to share with us some of the healthy yet exciting dishes that will make the holidays healthier. Take a look. (Images courtesy: iStock)
This healthy non-alcoholic eggnog recipe is very easy and it involves just a few simple steps. For a healthier version, replace full-fat milk with almond milk and swap sugar with honey. To make this drink, add almond milk, honey, egg yolks, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a blender and blend for approximately one minute or until smooth. Pour the mixture from the jar into a pot or pan and cook the eggnog on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Once the eggnog is thickened, add vanilla extract and then transfer the eggnog into an airtight container and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 6-8. To make the eggnog even more Christmasy, sprinkle a little cinnamon and a little nutmeg before serving and enjoy it chilled.
Homemade quinoa peanut brittle is a very healthy recipe to munch on during this festive season. It has a high protein, fibre and fat content and is super healthy for those looking for snacks. To make this healthy snack, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine uncooked quinoa, uncooked rolled oats, raw peanuts, coconut sugar, chia seeds, and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Add coconut oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract and stir until everything is mixed. Transfer the quinoa brittle in a tray lined with coconut oil, and cool completely. Break the healthy peanut brittle into bite-size pieces with your hands. (Image courtesy: Instagram/@kate_ellis_art)
Starting a day with some hearty Greek yoghurt, and nutritious fresh fruits and topped off with some fruits and nuts with muesli is good for our health. In a glass cup or bowl, add 2 tbsp of muesli to make the bottom layer. Next, add 2 tbsp of Greek yoghurt. Then, add some mixed berries and pineapple slices. Repeat the process till the cup is full. Finally, squeeze 1 tbsp of honey on top of the layers and serve immediately.
The addition of seeds and nuts makes it a heart-healthy dessert. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the topping, add the coconut oil, dates, and ½ of the vanilla extract in a food processor and blend until it looks like a paste. Then add the almond flour, walnuts, coconut flakes, ground flax seeds, and ½ of the cinnamon, and process into a crumb-like consistency. Set aside. Add your frozen berries and arrowroot starch to a bowl and combine well enough so the mixture is evenly coated. Add the lemon juice, and the remainder of the cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix well. To a lightly greased baking dish, add the berry mixture and then sprinkle the topping all over on top. Bake until the berries begin to bubble and the topping is golden brown for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool a bit and enjoy!
Protein-packed pillowy soft steamed quinoa idli is a very healthy snack dish for holidays. Rinse the quinoa and rice under running water until the water turns clear and then soak the quinoa and rice together in enough water (around 2.5 cups) for around 6 hours. Similarly, rinse urad dal with running water until the water turns clear and then soak in enough water (around 2 cups) with 1 teaspoon of methi seeds for 6 hours. After 6 hours, drain water in which quinoa and rice were soaked using a strainer. Then transfer the drained quinoa and rice to a high-speed blender. Add around 1 cup of cold water and grind to a smooth paste. Transfer the ground quinoa and rice to the steel pot of the Instant Pot. Similarly, drain the dal and methi seeds using a strainer and then transfer them to a blender. Grind the dal to a smooth paste using cold water as needed. Transfer it to the same pot as the ground quinoa and rice. Add 1 teaspoon salt here. Now, using clean hands, mix both batters along with the salt. Mix really well using your hands for 2 minutes, this helps in fermentation. The consistency of the batter should be free-flowing. It should not be runny but it should not be super thick either. If it doesn’t have a flowing consistency, you can add more water at this point. Now cover the pot with a glass lid. Steam the idlis and Serve quinoa idli with Sambhar and coconut chutney! (Image courtesy: Instagram/@livingsmartandhealthy)
