Christmas meals can be a bit overwhelming, and that's because many of us know what we're up against. For children it is just a time when there are songs, dances, gifts, the family gathers, there are trips, etc. But for adults it is quite a challenge, especially if we are immersed in some type of specific diet or have a healthy diet. That is why we have set out to locate the healthiest foods for lunch and dinner at Christmas.
Christmas is a time of excesses, so it never hurts to know closely which foods are the best to keep fit, keep our diet healthy and not suffer the consequences of excesses such as indigestion, gas, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue etc
Meats
Perhaps it is the most typical ingredient on these dates, which is why we want to propose some healthy options and move away from greasy cuts of meat, fried foods and red meat to give lean meats, low in fat and rich in protein, a chance.
Turkey
It is part of the magas meats, that is, it has little fat. The good and the bad of turkey is that, if it is cooked well, it is a meat that is very satisfying and is enjoyed even more because it is very tasty. However, if it is not cooked well, it can become dry and form a ball in our mouths.
Turkey should be cooked and served in its own juices with a natural sauce or with vegetables , extra virgin olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. You can also stuff it with vegetables for a special and healthier touch. The skin is healthy; what you should avoid is eating the burnt parts from the oven, as this has been shown to potentially cause cancer.
Chicken
Chicken is a very healthy meat, as long as you choose the breast and thigh and discard the skin. For an extra touch, you can roast it in the oven, just like turkey, in its own juices with a few spices and accompanied by vegetables , but it's not recommended to eat the burnt part.
Chicken provides essential minerals, vitamins and proteins for our body. Let's remember that it is a plate, and that more food comes later, so we will have to make small portions. Without forgetting the companions or hors d'oeuvres such as cheese, ham, rolls with pate, etc.
Rabbit
Rabbit meat is not very typical at Christmas, but it is a very good opportunity to offer a healthy dish that experts always recommend since it is very low in fat and is perfect for those who have hypertension, high cholesterol or are overweight.
It provides good amounts of iron, magnesium and zinc, apart from important vitamins, almost no fat and if we cook it with sauce, we will give it a scrumptious touch. Again, the skin is not recommended and we must accompany it with vegetables, to make a healthier dish.
Fish
Fish should never be missing from a healthy diet, especially when it comes to oily fish with how important it is. Fish provides us with some omega 3 and 6 that we hardly get with other types of food.
Tuna
A fish that is very rich in protein, low in fat and contains vitamins that are so important for the proper functioning of the body such as vitamin B3, B6, B12, D and E. Without forgetting minerals such as magnesium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, sodium, selenium and potassium.
The great thing about tuna is that, when served at Christmas dinner, it helps the immune system , and being in the middle of winter, this is very necessary to avoid the viruses and bacteria that attack our body from the outside.
Salmon
This fish is considered a superfood, and, like tuna and hake, it should be served steamed to get its full flavor and nutritional value. The good thing about salmon is that it is rich in omega 3 and this helps our heart, it is also good for people with hypertension and diabetes.
It contains vitamins B12, B3, B6, and D , as well as minerals like calcium, selenium, and magnesium. When paired with vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, squash, or potatoes, it creates a nutritionally perfect dish.
Hake
This blue fish is delicious and can be eaten in tacos, steamed, baked, in stews, creams, grilled, etc. It is rich in omega 3, B vitamins such as B3, B2, B6, B9 and B12, without forgetting important minerals for our health such as iron, calcium, iodine, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
It is perfect for pregnant women and children , especially when accompanied by vegetables, as it creates a nutrient-rich and very healthy dish, given its low calorie content.
Seafood
They are usually the main protagonists of Christmas lunches and dinners, especially in coastal areas such as southern Spain. Seafood is very healthy, as long as it is eaten with limitations and if we do not already have uric acid, cholesterol and similar problems.
Clams
Clams are a highly nutritious food, especially due to their high content of iron, calcium, potassium, protein, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. We can use clams in soups, as a side dish, or in stews. Any excuse is a good one to enjoy such a delicious and healthy seafood.
It is better to buy clams fresh and serve them with their shells if they are going to be used as a decoration in a cream or soup, or serve them without their shells in scrambled eggs, stews and stuffings of course. For example, croquettes, although everything that is fried is no longer healthy.
Prawns and prawns
If there's one ingredient that's a staple at Christmas dinner and other holiday meals and events, it's prawns and shrimp, aside from lobsters, scarlet prawns, crabs, and other crustaceans. But prawns and shrimp should be included, not only for their culinary importance but also for their nutritional value.
They provide vitamins A, group B, D and E, omega 3 and minerals as key to the body as iron, calcium, iodine, phosphorus and selenium. They are two very similar species, so much so that they are cooked the same. To make it healthy, we recommend not adding too much salt and making them either raw with a shot of steam or grilled.
Octopus
Octopus offers numerous health benefits, particularly due to its high content of vitamins B12, B6, B9, and E. It also provides minerals such as selenium, iodine, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, zinc, and magnesium. Furthermore, 100 grams of octopus contains 30 grams of protein and only 160 kilocalories.
It is best not to serve the octopus with hot spices since, being at night, it could cause indigestion, gas, pain, bloating, etc. The best is in sauce, stews, in tacos in a salad or scrambled vegetables, in empanadas or grilled with vegetables.
Nuts and seeds
They are the perfect ingredient for vegetable creams, hummus and other spreads, or to enhance sauces and salads. Nuts and seeds provide a multitude of vitamins and minerals in a very fast and direct way.
The best nuts are walnuts (in all their varieties), peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios . They should all be raw or roasted, but none fried or salted.
Regarding the seeds, the most complete and healthiest are flax, chia, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, poppy, mustard and linseed. We can eat between 2 and 3 teaspoons of seeds every day. We recommend buying a package where you come many different seeds. At Mercadona they sell a package with assorted seeds.
Soups and broths
We can take advantage of the shells of fish and shellfish, as well as the thighs and other parts of chicken or turkey to create broths, soups and vegetable or meat creams with which to start the Christmas menu.
Another very good option is a light pumpkin cream , an asparagus cream, potato and leek cream, light chicken broth, carrot cream, mushroom cream, etc.
On these dates there is an excess of food on the tables, and to make matters worse, people eat much later than usual, without forgetting the quantities of each serving.
So starting with a warm broth can help our stomach to whet our appetite and begin the digestive process. You should try to make them light broths without hot spices, without a lot of fat, or anything that can dull the stomach from the first course.
Desserts
In this type of copious meals there is usually room for dessert. Taking some nougat is normal, let's not punish ourselves for it, or go on strict diets the next day to compensate. This will only cause us to create frustration, hate, eat with anxiety, be afraid of food, not enjoy the moment, etc.
Instead, we can create healthy desserts, such as fresh fruit pieces mixed with seeds and unsweetened natural yogurt, or lemon-flavored plant-based yogurt, which is very easy to digest. We can also make homemade recipes, but replacing sugar with erythritol (a healthy sweetener) and using whole wheat flour, olive oil, quality margarine, etc.
We can also give a refreshing touch to dessert and create natural ice cream with water and fruit or yogurt and fruit. Another option is to beat the mixture, add natural pieces and put it in the mold. To give it a sweet touch, we can bathe fruits, ice creams in chocolate or add a little black cocoa to natural yogurt.
To drink
According to tradition, toasting with water is bad luck, what if we make water with natural flavors? Well, to get away from alcohol and soft drinks and other sugary and unhealthy drinks, we can fill a pitcher with filtered water and add pieces of fruit. We let it rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours and that's it.
If we're not convinced, experts say that to avoid dehydration, a spike in blood sugar, and digestive issues, we should drink a glass of clean, fresh water between each alcoholic beverage . Wine isn't healthy, nor are beer or champagne, but it's hard to say no on special occasions, so the only option is to reduce our consumption as much as possible and drink water between each glass.
We can choose soft drinks, but let's try to make them 100% sugar free. Even if they have sweeteners, those artificial sweeteners are often bad for your health. Another idea is to choose teas, natural juices, just water, combucha, etc.
Vegan and vegetarian options
The vegan and vegetarian menu is quite extensive. We can prepare tempeh, textured soy to be used in creams, stews and lasagna; vegetable pie; a vegetable quiche; scrambled tofu with vegetables; pumpkin and spinach burger; lentil, potato and broccoli meatballs; zucchini lasagna; stuffed aubergines etc.
These types of meals are suitable for all diners , from children to diabetics or heart patients, so if there are any vegans or vegetarians among those attending the Christmas dinner, we can offer a plant-based menu and alternate it with animal-based foods such as cheese, ham or some seafood to provide more variety.