The Holiday Season is here. Christmas music has been playing in stores for at least two months. Visions of Sugar Plum Fairies, Christmas Cookies, and pumpkin-flavored
everything dances in our heads.
As we gather our oversized sweaters and start accepting that we are going to gain a few pounds over winter, STOP IT. You don't have to! Traveling during the holiday season is rough, but there are healthier alternatives along the way that you can still indulge in with only a few stops and a microwave.
Nothing Beats Smoky Meats
Smoking meat allows for an absolutely delicious flavor to infuse into your turkey or ham, dripping all the fat off and leaving a surprisingly moist cut for you to enjoy. Smoked meats usually have a crispy, dark crust with a pinkish ring directly underneath the crust. If there's a lot of extra juice and no smoke ring, then it was probably cooked differently; beware of substitutes! Smoke houses are an excellent choice to pickup large cuts, but they aren't all over the United States. Stores such as the Honey Baked Ham Company offer sliced, small, or large cuts of ham and turkey. The most readily available and affordable option for a small amount is grabbing a few slices from your local grocery deli!
Favorite Sides With Healthy Vibes
My favorite microwavable, healthy side is the orange sweet potato. You can clean and cover a medium sweet potato in plastic wrap, then throw it in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. Toppings include salt and pepper, peanut butter, or extra-virgin coconut oil with cinnamon. If you are more in the mood for rice, I recommend one Minute Rice cup or individual Rice-A-Roni cup (the San Francisco treat!).
Veggies are the easiest microwaveable solution for a delish side. Instead of the Green Bean Casserole, grab some frozen steam-able green beans and flavor them with a slice or two of precooked bacon and powdered onion for a quick and delicious version of Farm-Style Green Beans.
Quick "Homemade" Dessert
Let's be honest. Dessert is unhealthy by design, and that's okay! Go ahead and treat yourself to a small helping of heaven. I don't like to substitute artificial sweetener for sugar. Especially if I'm travelling, I have to keep in mind that most substitute sweeteners have unpleasant side effects that will cause me to make too many pit stops (sorbitol, for instance). I recommend grabbing a microwaveable Mug Treat of any variety for a delicious, fast, and portioned indulgence. Try adding fruit, peanut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, or chopped nuts for even more variety. Here's a recipe for a two ingredient Oreo Mug Cake if you have 3 minutes to dedicate to making your dessert.
Now, grab some EggNog or Sparkling Juice and enjoy your meal!