Healthy Holiday Recipes and Tips

Holiday Soups

Chicken and Barley Soup (substitute turkey breast):
This is a delicious, high-fiber dish. Fiber contributes to fullness, healthy digestion, and decreases the risk of heart disease by reducing levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Enjoy a high fiber lunch with some holiday leftovers:

Ingredients:
• 1 cup uncooked quick cooking barley
• 42 ounces low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 white onions, chopped
• 1 cup frozen or fresh mixed vegetables (your choice)
• 1 cup chopped turkey breast
• Garlic, pepper, thyme and other seasoning to taste

Preparation:
1. Bring barley and broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté (about 3-5 minutes). Add other vegetables and sauté. Add vegetable mix, chicken and seasoning to barley and let simmer about 5 minutes.


Perfectly Pumpkin Soup:
Another high-fiber dish that is delicious and healthy:

Ingredients:
• 3 cups of pumpkin
• 1 cup of carrots
• 1 cup of northern white beans
• Pumpkin Spice

Preparation:
1) Boil carrots until soft and drain.
2) In a food processor, puree the pumpkin. Next, add the cooked carrots and drained beans to the pumpkin. Puree until it's a creamy consistency. Enjoy hot or cold.

Holiday Appetizers

Hummus (a party pleasing & scale-friendly appetizer):
Hummus is a healthier dish to bring and share at holiday parties. With humus, it is easy to modify the recipe to reflect your favorite flavor. Add some chopped olives or roasted red peppers to change the humus, or just stick with the original recipe.

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons water and fresh lime juice (or lemon juice)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, peeled (optional-minced or powder garlic to taste works as well)
• 3 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas (can also use fresh sliced vegetables like broccoli and pepper slices)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place ingredients (except the whole-wheat pitas) in a food processor; process until smooth.
3. Cut each pita into wedges. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes, turning once.

Holiday Dinner & Meal Substitutions

• Gravy: Refrigerate gravy and wait for it to harden. The fat will congeal at the top and can be skimmed off easily, saving you a lot of calories and fat.
• Turkey: With turkey, choose white breast meat and remove skin.
• Casseroles: Substitute almonds for fried onion rings to top green bean casserole.
• Potatoes: Swap out whole milk and butter in mashed potatoes and instead use skim milk and low fat/sodium chicken broth. You could also swap out the potatoes for cauliflower.
• Creamy Dishes: If a recipe calls for full fat milk, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese or whip, choose a low or fat-free version instead.
• Egg Recipes: Replace all or some of the whole eggs in a recipe with egg substitute. One egg is equal to two egg whites or ¼ cup substitute.
• Pies, Cakes, and Desserts: Remove the crust from pies and use fruit to top cakes instead of frosting. Another way to cut down on the fat and calorie content of cakes, brownies, breads and muffins is to substitute fruit puree (like applesauce) for the oil. When possible, trim a cup of sugar down to ¾ of a cup and boost flavor with appropriate spices (ex: cinnamon).

Contact Med-Vision for more healthly living tips.