8 Healthy Foods At Christmas
Christmas is a time when we usually eat more than necessary, but we must not forget that we can also continue to eat healthy at Christmas meals. In this article you will know 8 healthy foods at Christmas.
Healthy foods to eat at Christmas
High-calorie Christmas foods, rich in fats and sugars, can become healthy if we add these foods to our meals, both for adults and children.
1. Seafood
Seafood is the quintessential food at Christmas. Prawns, prawns, spider crabs, lobster, lobster lobster can be eaten grilled, baked or steamed, but beware of excess salt. They are a good option, since they are low in saturated fat and provide quality protein, as well as vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine and zinc.
In babies, this food group can begin to be introduced when they start complementary feeding since, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it cannot be guaranteed that delaying the intake of certain foods will prevent children from being allergic to them.
2. Clams and mussels
This group of foods, which are the bibalvos (clams, cockles, mussels, razor clams …), are also good options for appetizers or accompanying the main fish dishes. They are high in minerals like copper, iron, and manganese.
3. Vegetables
We must not forget the vegetables, which can also be included in our Christmas meals in the form of salads, in broth, in raw vegetables or in canapes. They are beneficial for excess fat and cholesterol, abundant in other foods.
Some ideas are:
- Zucchini roll with goat cheese.
- Sprouts and avocado salad with pomegranate.
- Vegetable skewers with prawns.
4. Potato and pumpkin, some of the most typical healthy Christmas foods
Tubers such as potatoes and squash can be added as garnishes to main dishes, cooked or roasted, as they are rich in complex carbohydrates, such as starch, and in water. Also, pumpkin is rich in antioxidants, carotenoids, due to its orange color.
In addition, you can also make desserts with it, like, for example, these pumpkin muffins filled with cream.
5. Poultry
Poultry meats such as chicken, turkey or partridge, have healthy fatty acids, better than red meats, and contain fewer calories. Therefore, it can be a good main dish, like the typical Christmas turkey. In addition, it provides 25% protein and contains few purines. Normally, poultry are foods that children like and are nutritious for them.
6. Fish
Both blue and white fish are healthy foods that we can introduce in Christmas meals, since they have high quality proteins, they have polyunsaturated fats, especially in blue fish such as salmon, tuna, bonito, etc., and they are rich in vitamins of group B and minerals.
7. Fruits, one of the healthiest foods at Christmas
Like vegetables, we should not forget about fruits on these holidays, as they are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are perfect to counteract excesses. For example, pineapple helps us to digest after meals.
The idea is to introduce them as dessert in an original way, for example, making a Christmas tree with them, an easy dessert that the smallest of the house can make. We can also mix them with chocolate or make them in the form of compote. Some ideas that we give you are:
- Grapes skewer and dark chocolate syrup.
- Shot of yogurt with applesauce.
8. Nuts and dehydrated fruits
Dehydrated fruits and nuts can be added as an aperitif or as part of the dessert. Keep in mind that dehydrated fruits such as raisins, figs, dates, dried apricots, plums, etc., are more caloric and contain less water and a higher sugar content than natural fruits. Even so, consuming them in moderate quantities they offer us varied micronutrients and, above all, a large amount of fiber and antioxidants.
Natural nuts are very healthy foods, as they are high in mono or polyunsaturated fatty acids, rich in vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium and antioxidants.
If you want to incorporate them into your desserts, these are some ideas that the whole family will love:
- Artisanal dried fruit nougat.
- Date stuffed with chocolate and grated coconut.
Encourage the whole family to introduce these foods and cook these recipe ideas!
