12 Superfoods for the Holidays

If the holidays make you think unhealthy meals, chips and dips aplenty, and Costco-size pies, then you might be fearful of holiday weight gain (if you feel anxiety around this, you’ll love this article on the 11 Ways to Avoid Weight Gain this Holiday Season).

And the holidays might have you thinking it’s nearly impossible to eat healthy and feel great…

But it’s not the holiday food in and of itself that is unhealthy…

But the way we tend to prepare it.

Sweet potatoes abound with gut-healthy fiber…except we smother it in butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows.

And cranberries are insanely rich in antioxidants…except we drown them in sugar and put them in a can.

Holiday foods are actually holiday SUPERFOODS when we prepare them in a way that celebrates their healing properties.

Here are my top 12 superfood picks for the holidays and my favorite recipe for preparing them:

1.      Cranberries

• Rich in antioxidants to support a healthy immune system

• Loaded with insoluble fiber to aid with digestion

• Fresh Cranberry Chutney

2. Sweet Potatoes

• Skin of sweet potatoes have both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber

• Soluble fiber helps you feel full by slowing digestion

• Insoluble fiber helps relieve constipation and improves gut health

• Sweet Potato Nests

3. Acorn Squash

• Rich in carotenoids, powerful antioxidants

• May help reduce risk of cancer

• Rich in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure

• Creamy Acorn Squash Soup (Vegan)

4. Quinoa

• Contains all essential amino acids (the protein we require from food)

• A complete protein

• Perfect vehicle for other holiday superfoods, from cranberries to pecans to sweet potatoes and cinnamon

• Cinnamon Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

5. Pumpkin

• Rich in magnesium to build strong muscles and nerves

• Whole Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Cinnamon Apples

6. Ginger

• Powerful anti-inflammatory

• Steep in hot water with lemon slices for an immune-boosting drink

• Sweet and Spicy Carrot Ginger Soup

7. Pecans

• Fats don’t make you fat, they make you full 😊

• It is recommended to have 1-1.5 ounces of nuts per day

• How Many Nuts Constitutes 1 Ounce?

  • Almonds: 24

  • Brazil nuts: 6 to 8

  • Cashews: 18

  • Hazelnuts: 21

  • Macadamias: 10 to 12

  • Peanuts: 28

  • Pecans: 20 halves

  • Pistachios: 47

  • Walnuts: 14 halves

• Pecans are high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, and magnesium

• Mexican Hot Chocolate Superfood Raw Brownies

8. Pomegranate

• Very high in antioxidants

• Sprinkle over a salad

• Top sparking water with pomegranate arils

• Fruit Sushi with Pomegranate Roe

9. Brussels sprouts

• High in carotenoids (antioxidants)

• Antiangiogenic (prevents the growth of tumor cells)

• Eat the Rainbow Bowl

10. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

• Replace all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio

• High in vitamin E (antioxidant)

• 4 grams of fiber per ¼ cup serving

• Mom’s Cranberry Orange Bread

11. Cinnamon

• Promotes a healthy brain

• Helps stabilize blood sugar

• Sauté apples with a little butter or ghee and cinnamon until softened

• Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

12. Dark Chocolate

• High in fiber to keep you full

• High in antioxidants (the high the percentage of cacao, the darker the chocolate, the more antioxidants)

• Very dark chocolate can have more antioxidants than blueberries!

• Choose 70% cacao or higher

• Use dark chocolate chips in Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo)

Which superfood recipe will you try first?