As you know, the Christmas season is full of temptations. As delightful as biscuits, mulled wine, and similar treats taste, they are still not necessarily healthy, which is why unwanted weight gain occurs, especially during the Advent season. In today's post, we would like to provide you with five tips on how to navigate Advent with as few calories as possible without having to give up on pre-Christmas traditions.
Tip 1: Healthy cookies for the Christmas season
Cookies are probably the greatest temptation during Advent. The wonderful scent of freshly baked Christmas cookies makes your mouth water, and the urge to indulge in a taste or two while baking is hard to resist.
The good thing is that cookies don't necessarily have to be unhealthy. Of course, there are many recipes that call for plenty of sugar, butter, and wheat flour, and they taste good too. But apart from winter layers, nobody really wants to gain weight in winter. Fortunately, there are also some delicious cookie recipes that are healthy.
In the following two recipes, for example, classic sugar and wheat flour are completely omitted. Sources of fat are primarily healthy nuts (cashews), which, compared to conventional butter, contain significantly healthier fatty acids . The wheat flour has been replaced by our healthy muesli mixtures, which are higher in fiber and thus cause your blood sugar to rise less sharply. Just try the two healthy Christmas recipes; you will be surprised 😉 More inspiration for healthy recipes can be found here on our blog.
Recipe: Stuffed cocoa date cookies or "healthy rawreos"
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 100 g Verival almonds (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- 100 g Verival walnuts
- 100 g Bircher Porridge
- 120 g Verival dates (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- 1-2 tbsp Verival maple syrup
- 30 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
Filling
- 200 g Verival cashew nuts (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- 100 g coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tbsp Verival maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla, ground
Preparation
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For the dark 'cookie dough,' add the almonds, walnuts, muesli mixture, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and dates to a food processor and blend until smooth.
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Place the mixture on a piece of baking paper. Place a second sheet of baking paper on top and roll out the mixture to about 0.5 cm thick.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. -
In the meantime, add the cashew nuts, coconut flakes, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup to the food processor and puree. Blend the mixture until it has a creamy consistency, adding some water if necessary.
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Cut the cookie mass into round cookies with a diameter of approximately 4 cm. Knead the mixture together again and again and roll it out until it is used up. Then assemble the cookies by placing about 1 teaspoon of coconut filling on one cookie, placing another on top, and pressing firmly. Store the finished cookies in the refrigerator.
Recipe: Healthy Chocolate Crossies
Ingredients
- 120 g cocoa butter
- 70 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4-5 Verival dates, finely chopped
- 4-5 tbsp Verival maple syrup
- 1 pinch Fleur de Sel
- 100 g Verival Organic Cornflakes
- 70 g Verival Urkorn Muesli
Preparation
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Melt the cocoa butter with the cocoa powder over a water bath and stir until smooth.
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Stir in the cinnamon, chopped dates, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
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Finally, mix in the cornflakes and muesli.
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Using two teaspoons, place small heaps on a tin lined with parchment paper.
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Allow the chocolate crossies to set in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place.
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Tip 2: Conscious enjoyment during the holidays
As great as the healthy alternatives taste, you may not be able to resist the occasional temptation. It is not so important to eliminate everything "unhealthy"; rather, you should aim to eat as varied as possible and provide your body with all essential nutrients. If you indulge in something unhealthy from time to time, especially during the holidays, that’s perfectly fine too.
However, make sure to eat as consciously as possible and listen to your body's signals. Just because something tastes good doesn't mean you have to overindulge. If you take the time to eat mindfully, prepare your meals nicely, and perhaps even share a meal with company, it will be much easier to tune into your body’s signals. You will notice when your feeling of fullness starts and can stop eating accordingly.
While it may be challenging to put a half-eaten cookie aside at first, you won't necessarily find greater satisfaction just by continuing to eat, especially when your body is sending you signals of satiety. Plus, you will have more left over for the next few days 😉
Tip 3: Bake and store sustainably
No matter how hard you try, the variety of cookies that you want to try often just continues to grow. However, simply eating all the cookies just because they're available and it "would be a pity" is also not a solution. Because no matter how healthy the cookies are, they still have calories. The more you consume, the greater the chance that the BMI calculator will suddenly raise an alarm .
A much better and more sustainable solution is either to give the cookies as pre-Christmas gifts or simply freeze them for your next visit. This not only allows you to savor them for longer, but also prevents wastage and unnecessary binge eating. You can find more tips for a sustainable Christmas here.
Tip 4: Exercise in the fresh air
If you don't want to hold back too much when eating, you can opt for a bit more exercise instead. It’s best to engage in outdoor activities, as you can not only burn plenty of calories, but also strengthen your immune system at the same time.
However, it's important to find the right activity for you and your body. For some, this means an extended walk in the winter landscape; for others, a hike in nature. But running, walking, or participating in other winter sports are also excellent options.
However, ensure you wear sufficient clothing that protects you from the cold while still allowing free movement. The right footwear is particularly important, as you don't want to turn back after just 15 minutes because you can no longer feel your toes.
It's also vital to choose an appropriate intensity and duration for your workout. Start your initial training sessions slowly to give your body a chance to adapt to the stress and climate. Aim to breathe through your nose and avoid excessive mouth breathing.
This is because the nasal mucous membranes warm the cold air to the right temperature for your body. However, if you breathe too heavily through your mouth, the cold air goes straight into your lungs and can lead to a cold or cough.
Tip 5: Establish routines and rules
Last but not least, it can be beneficial to create routines or impose certain guidelines. This doesn't necessarily sound exciting, but it can help you avoid overindulging in food and encourage you to stay active.
Additionally, rules don't necessarily have to be restrictive; if you're clever about them, you can even find enjoyment in them. It’s best to set your rules together with a friend or partner. This way, you don’t have to constantly monitor yourself, which helps to keep your motivation and endurance high.
For example, you might decide to take a walk with your favorite person every morning to get your circulation going and do something good for your body. Rules can also be beneficial for snacking – for instance, you could decide to only snack on cookies in company and otherwise rely on fresh fruit if your body craves something sweet. This way, you bring more variety to your daily routine, your diet, and playfully prevent unwanted weight gain during the Christmas season.
