With a litany of Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations on the horizon, you may be starting to worry about what all the festivities will do to your whole food diet. You’re likely unenthused about taking two steps backwards after making the painstaking switch from sugary, ultra-processed foods to healthful, real food – but that’s what we’re here for. We’ll show you how you can have a fun holiday season with delicious food and joyful gatherings, without compromising on your health goals.
After going through the ups and downs of withdrawal from sugar, you’re likely a little nervous about stepping through the doors of that fast-approaching Chrissy party to find chocolate cakes, pavlovas and all manner of confectionery – or perhaps you’re feeling the strain of having to put on an elaborate feast for friends and family. Either way, there are a number of simple steps you can take to ensure you stick to your whole food diet, while still pulling off a knockout spread.
We’ll be diving into a few of our top tips for staying true to your goals, plus a few meal ideas to have you and your relatives indulging in all the classic festive fare, minus all those hidden nasties that slip into our favourite dishes. From drinks to mains, desserts and snacks – we’ve got you covered.
Starters
Starters are fun, simple dishes that set the tone for the party – but that doesn’t mean they have to be loaded with sugar and preservatives! Cheese platters, salads, fruit, roast veggies and snacks made from real, whole foods are tasty ways to get the day off to a good start. Need a little help getting those creative juices flowing? Take a look at some of our flavour-packed starter recipe ideas that you won’t believe are good for you.
We also recommend you try some of the exciting starter recipes from our festive Christmas eBook and our all-new Holiday Entertaining Guide:
- Summer Rolls
- Spiced Koftas with a Golden Quinoa and Lemony Beans
- Grilled Haloumi and Peach Salad
Mains
The main dishes at a Chrissy lunch or a New Year’s Eve dinner are often loaded with salt, preservatives and even sugar seems to make its way into these meals. They’re not exactly known for their healthful qualities – but we’re here to change that. Loaded with real, whole ingredients, these mains ideas will knock the socks off your relatives – even the staunchest of festive traditionalists will appreciate the impressive flavour combinations in these meals. Here's a little motivation for you:
If you’re looking for something a little more festive, check out our Holiday Entertaining Guide recipes, available in our all-new eBook. Here’s a look at just a few of the many recipes on offer to turn your festivities into a flavour and nutritional powerhouse – and your family won’t even realise it… well, they might notice the lack of a sugar crash!
- Red curry chicken wings
- Brussels Sprouts Salad with Quinoa – from world-renowned chef Sarah Glover!
- Prawns on the Barbie with Smoky Garlic Dressing
Desserts
Really, what is a party without desserts? We all know the real test of a good event is down to the reception of the sweets at the end of the night. You’re probably thinking you’ll have to throw in the towel on this one, after all, what is a dessert without sugar, right? Wrong! We happen to have an array of delicious, indulgent desserts that won’t throw your blood sugars out, and they’ll even provide a hefty dose of nutrients too. It’s possible, we swear – take a look at some of the tasty dessert ideas you can use for your next bash:
Find more delicious, festive dessert recipes in our Christmas eBook and Holiday Entertaining Guide:
- Orange Bread and Butter Pudding
- Salted Caramel Slice
- Christmas Berry Swirl Cheesecake
Now that you’ve got a few ideas up your sleeve for your next party, here are a few tips to keep you going – especially during those times where you’re not the host.
Eat before the party
It’ll be that much harder to make reasonable decisions when you’re working on an empty stomach, so be sure to have a light meal or snack before heading off to the party. Something with a good dose of healthy fats – like olive oil, avocados and walnuts – are a good option to keep the wolf from the door. Monounsaturated fats are a good option, as studies have found they help balance blood sugars and prevent insulin resistance. Medium chain triglycerides are found in coconuts and eggs, and are another great option to help reduce sugar cravings and they’ve even been found to decrease appetite. Other ideal foods to eat before a party are high-protein foods like eggs, yoghurt, nuts and nut butters, as these have also been found to help us manage our appetite, along with reducing the chances of the dreaded afternoon slump.
Watch the alcohol
If you’re heading out to a party, you’ll likely come across cocktails, mocktails, along with wine, beer and champagne. While a simple glass of red is a good choice – it has little to no sugar and even has a good dose of antioxidants – other “fancy” drinks like your classic bloody Mary or mimosa are loaded with sugar. Even a simple vodka and juice can send your blood sugars into overdrive – this popular drink is a fructose explosion. Cider, another popular choice, will set you back 13 grams of sugar in just a glass. But we know cocktails and fun drinks are part and parcel for the festive season – in fact, it’s really not the same without a good Chrissy cocktail! That’s why we’ve got a wide range of drink recipes in our Holiday Entertaining Guide – from the alcoholic to delicious beverages the kids will love – proving that you can still stick to your whole food diet, and have an exciting holiday season too.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration, here’s your look into one of the many fun cocktail recipes you’ll find in our guide:
- Yule Mule Cocktails
- Gin-gle Bell on the Rocks
- Lime Ginger-ade
Espresso Martini
Here’s a free sneak peek into our Holiday Entertaining Guide – your guests will love this delicious caffeine-kick of a cocktail. And there’s more where that came from!
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 45ml vodka or tequila
- 1 teaspoon rice malt syrup, mixed with 1/2 teaspoon hot water
- 30ml cold press coffee
- wattleseed, ground, to serve
Method:
- Shake all ingredients in a chilled cocktail shaker.
- Double strain into a martini glass. Top with ground wattleseed.
Keen for more delicious holiday recipes that will help you stick to your whole food diet? Get a copy of our Holiday Entertaining Guide HERE.
If it’s Christmas that’s taking up your time, stress and energy this holiday season, we’ve got just the thing for that too! Get your own copy of our Christmas eBook FREE when you sign up to the 8-Week program.
If you’ve been looking to take your health back into your own hands but aren’t sure where to start, why not treat yourself this Christmas and join us for the 8-Week Program? We know it can be hard to stick to your health goals and kick a clingy sugar habit to the curb – especially when you’re trying to manage it alone. That’s where we come in – we’ll be quitting sugar and turning our health dreams into a reality. When you sign up with us, you’ll have access to clear-cut meal plans, community support and exclusive access to our sugar-free content. Here’s what’s on offer:
- 8 weeks of meal plans and shopping lists
- 90+ member-only recipes
- Community forums to share your journey
- Support and guidance from the I Quit Sugar team
- Exclusive content from our panel of experts
So, if you’re ready to ditch sugar and the host of maladies that come with it, it’s not too late to JOIN NOW!
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