The holidays are ripe with festivities, merriment, and many tempting treats — making it very hard to stick to a healthy diet! My weakness is any dessert, especially pumpkin pie.
However, even while practicing a healthy lifestyle, I don’t deprive myself entirely and allow myself to partake… in moderation.
Here are some tips that help me keep on track with my health goals over the holidays:
– Never go to a party hungry! Have a healthy snack ahead of time. This is also crucial advice before going grocery shopping!
– Bring a healthy dish to share and eat.
– Curb the dessert monster by filling up on the healthy stuff first.
– And, if you happen to overindulge, it’s ok! Be kind to yourself and return to the health wagon the next day!
While no one would EVER accuse me of being a great chef, I wanted to share some SUPER easy and relatively healthy recipes that even I can make!
*Note: I have a split oven and tend to need lower temperatures; if you have a larger oven, you may need to increase the temperature by 25F or bake
longer.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Ingredients:
– 1 ½ lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
– ½ cup fresh (or dried) cranberries
– ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
– 2 tbsp to ¼ cup thick balsamic vinegar (more or less depending on how much you like). An alternative is to create a balsamic reduction: 1 cup sugar with ¾ cup balsamic vinegar)
– Salt pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil until well-coated
3. Spread the Brussels sprouts (flat side down) on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 25–30 minutes or until the sprouts are brown (check on them periodically so you don’t overcook).
4. Drizzle thick balsamic vinegar over the sprouts and sprinkle on the cranberries.
a. Alternative: Combine balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan, boil, and then reduce the heat. Reduce until very thick.
b. Dried cranberries: if you like them soft, rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for 10–30 minutes.
c. Option: add roasted nuts to the mix to give it a nice crunch!
Maple syrup garlic butter roasted carrots
Ingredients:
– 2 lbs carrots, cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces (shortcut — use baby carrots)
– 1 stick of butter (option: substitute with plant-based butter)
– 3 tbsp maple syrup
– 4 garlic cloves minced (shortcut — 2 tsp jarred minced garlic).
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In a saucepan, using medium-high heat, melt the butter and whisk until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes), then add in the maple syrup and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
3. Place the carrots in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the butter sauce over them. Toss the carrots until well coated.
4. Spread carrots evenly on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper
5. Cover with foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting the carrots for 10–15 minutes until tender.
6. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with parsley (Option: add other spices like thyme).
Purple Sweet Potato Mash with Coconut Milk (my easy go-to for any party)
Ingredients:
– 3–4 medium-sized purple sweet potatoes
– ½–1 cup coconut milk (I use canned, find organic BPA-free ideally)
– Salt to taste (I use just a pinch)
– 1 tsp cinnamon (add more or less depending on your taste)
– 1–2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Peel and chop the purple sweet potatoes into cubes. Steam until fork-tender, about 15- 20 minutes. (shortcut — steam washed potatoes whole in a silicone Stasher bag in ½ inch of water for 5–8 minutes in the microwave until fork-tender; peel them after steaming.)
2. Mash the sweet potatoes to the desired consistency.
3. Add coconut milk, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla extract and mix. Depending on the consistency you are going for, you can add either more coconut milk (alternatively, you can use other non-dairy milk or water).
Stuffed baked Apples (or pears):
Ingredients:
– 4 medium-large sized apples (such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Envy apples)
– ½ cup chopped walnuts (I use macadamia nuts)
– 2 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 tsp cinnamon (alternative to cinnamon and nutmeg is pumpkin pie spice)
– ½ tsp nutmeg
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– Coco whip or whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Apple Bowls: wash and core the apple but leave the bottoms intact to create the apple “bowl” where the filling will sit.
3. Filling: mix the chopped nuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted coconut oil.
4. Stuff each apple with the nut mixture
5. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the apples are tender
6. Remove the baked apples and let them cool slightly — option to serve with whipped cream.
Notes: Substitute apples for pears! The only difference is the preparation of the Pear bowls.
– Pear Bowls: wash and cut the pears in half and remove the core — this will be the filling bowl.
Cut a sliver off on the underside of the pear so that the pear bowls lay flat.
Happy Holidays!
-Dr. Eri Shimizu
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About the Author:
Dr. Eri Shimizu is a board certified in Internal Medicine Doctor and soon will be certified through the Institutes of Functional Medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Bioengineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated summa cum laude from Creighton University Medical School. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at UCLA and worked at a Los Angeles county hospital. In 2012, she returned to Hawaii and served as a Hospitalist at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Maui is now home with her husband, two children, and a fighting fish named Rainbow.
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