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Healthy Side Dishes For Holiday Parties

Bring healthy side dishes to your next holiday party and can keep control of your fitness goals this holiday season. Stay tuned for our 15 TIPS on how to stay motivated & on track with your exercise program and through holidays.

Brussels Sprout Salad

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 1 cup (about 3 navel oranges) navel orange juice
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil or oil of your choice
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 small red onions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ jalapeño, seeded and thinly chopped
  • 2 roasted red peppers, diced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, remove outer leaves of Brussels sprouts and discard cores. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch leaves in boiling water until bright green, about 40 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, then plunge into ice water until cool, 15 to 30 seconds. Drain leaves on paper towels and blot dry.

In a medium bowl, whisk together next 7 ingredients.

Place leaves, avocado, and red peppers in a serving dish. Drizzle dressing over salad. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Note: I chose to mix all of the ingredients together so I could package it in mason jars for the week. Your choice how to serve it.

NUTRITION

  • Calories 171
  • Carbohydrates 20g
  • Fat 10g (poly and mono unsaturated fats!)
  • Protein 3g

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

from wholefoodsmarket.com

Most people are familiar with the ground version of wheat berries, aka whole wheat flour, and not the grain as a whole. Wheat berries keep the bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain intact thus making it a powerhouse for nutrients. Wheat berries are a great source of fiber, magnesium, an array of B vitamins, potassium and Vitamin E. When cooked, they contain a sweet, nutty flavor which makes this dish a hit.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups uncooked wheat berries
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 medium apples, cored and chopped
  • 1 cup seedless raisins
  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

METHOD:

  1. Put wheat berries into a large bowl, cover with at least 2 inches of water and set aside to let soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
  2. Put 7 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add wheat berries, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through. (Wheat berries retain a firm, chewy texture when cooked.) Drain and set aside to let cool.
  3. Transfer wheat berries to a large bowl. Add walnuts, apples, raisins, parsley, vinegar, apple juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, olive oil and lemon juice and mix everything together thoroughly.

NUTRITION:

  • Calories: 372
  • Carbohydrates: 56g
  • Fat: 14g (12g of polyunsaturated/monounsaturated)
  • Protein: 8g

10 Strategies To Prevent The Holiday Bulge

Tis the season for holiday feasts, a calendar packed with holiday parties, and weather that can diminish our motivation to train. In November and December we’re faced with every culinary temptation imaginable, which makes it difficult to maintain peak fitness.

In fact, it’s common for some to pack on five to 10 pounds of body fat onto their bodies during the holiday season, which can compromise performance and make for a slow return to form in the spring.

Fortunately, the situation is far from hopeless. It’s possible to enjoy all the festivities–including the special foods that help make the season so enjoyable. Read on to learn about 10 nutrition and fitness strategies that will help you maintain peak fitness during the holiday season

  • Eat four to six smaller meals rather than “saving” yourself for that special holiday meal
  • Plan a workout before a holiday party or big meal
  • In contrast to our “sports mentality” to pick up the pace, when eating, SLOW DOWN!
  • Remember the law of diminishing returns
  • Take advantage of “nutritionally dense” holiday foods
    • Pumpkin
    • Cranberries
    • Turkey
    • Sweet Potatoes
    • Chestnuts
  • Offer to bring a healthy dish to holiday parties
  • Try recipe modifications
  • Beware of liquid calories, especially alcohol
  • Don’t “hang out” at the appetizer table when socializing at a party
  • Use a journal (or an app) to monitor your training and nutrition

Read the full article here.

The Dangers Of Barbeque

SYNONYMOUS WITH SUMMER ARE LONG DAYS, WARMER TEMPS, AND BARBEQUES.

While many may think the side salads and desserts are the biggest threat to one’s health at the weekend cookout, there are dangers that lie in char boiling and gas grilling. The biggest culprits come from the “MPF” of barbeques: the meat, poultry, and fish. When amino acids and creatine are heated at a high temperature, they form heterocyclic amines (HAs) which are a known carcinogen. In addition, when the drippings from the meat hit the coals, this also forms polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAAs). The PAAs are inhaled by your lungs and sticks to your skin and clothing. Factors including contact with direct flames or heating element, long exposure time, and high temperatures over 400* all increase the formation of HAs and PAAs. This does not mean you can not participate in barbeques, but taking these simple steps can help reduce the formation of carcinogens and allow you to enjoy your summertime meal.

  • Cook smaller pieces and leaner cuts of meat to reduce cook time and drippings. In any form of cooking, the shorter time exposed to a heating source the less nutrient loss.
  • Baste with oils that have a high smoke point like avocado or high oleic safflower oil to form a barrier of protection and reduce oxidative damage to the oil itself
  • Flavor with high antioxidant foods like rosemary, citrus, sage, green tea, and others
  • Increase intake of cruciferous vegetables to increase ability of the body to detoxify