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5 Simple Holiday Food Swaps

Nov 23, 2015 6:30:00 AM

Holiday Food SwapsThe holiday season can be stressful for the cooks in your family!

With many food allergy requests these days, the hosts can find themselves in an unexpected challenge. Whether you are trying to appease everyone or cut some calories, here are some ways to make your Thanksgiving dinner and holiday gatherings a little bit healthier.

 

Potatoes - Cauliflower

Instead of mashed potatoes or rice, try “mashed” cauliflower or grated, steamed cauliflower. These taste virtually the same, and are less carbohydrates and calories. If you don’t want to go all in, try mixing ½ or ⅓ of your cauliflower into your potato dish.

 

White rolls - Wheat rolls

Use whole wheat rolls. Yes, whole wheat is a little bit more expensive. But before you reach for that 10 pound bag of flour that’s been sitting in your pantry for the last 5 years, go buy some whole wheat flour. Your guests will appreciate your care for their health. With whole wheat flour, you can make anything baked a little bit healthier. Whole wheat has more fiber and turns into sugar slower in the body.

 

Flour - Black Beans

When baking brownies, substitute black beans for some or all of the flour it calls for. Black beans have more protein than flour. You’ll need to puree the beans. Simply swap 1 cup flour for 1 cup of the puree.

 

Cookies - Graham Crackers

Many pie crusts call for using sugar or Oreo cookies. To save on calories and sugar, use crushed graham crackers instead. It’s the same amount of work, and graham crackers are probably cheaper anyway.

 

Breadcrumbs - Rolled Oats

Try using rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs in dishes- meatloaf, for example. Breadcrumbs have more salt; rolled oats have more fiber and fewer additives. You’ll need to blend or grind these before using them if you want similar consistency to breadcrumbs.

 

 

 

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Nicole Fallowfield

Written by Nicole Fallowfield

Nicole is a Principal, Director of Administration, and part of the executive leadership team. She is accountable for the entire employee experience, from interactions with human resources and technology to the facilities in which our employees work. Nicole previously served as the Director of Wellbeing and EB Operations at Gibson. She is also a member of Gibson’s Board of Directors Additionally, Nicole is responsible for the health and wellbeing strategic leadership for Gibson’s clients. She is also a member of Gibson’s Board of Directors. Read Nicole's Full Bio