However, the biggest culprit to weight gain at this time of year is sugar!So, here are my sugar swaps for the best run-up to …
Now, I want you to enjoy sugar because, let’s face it.. you’ll be surrounded by it and If I say “no” you can’t have it then the rebellious few will go out and indulge and I will not have that on my conscious so I’m going to enable you to eat like everyone else, except don’t, do it the healthy way.
Now, If you really want to know how to stay away from sugar read this.Or, you can enjoy Christmas by knowing you’re eating well and still stay fit and ready for the new year with a few Christmas replacements and festive treats!
Hack #7 Christmas sugar swaps! Here are the ways to enjoy Christmas ;flavors with less of the bad stuff…
Cinnamon in everything.
I’m not even a big cinnamon fan, but it’s one of those things that you ‘just have’ at Christmas time. You can smell it in the air and it reminds you of Christmas! Indulging in healthier alternatives with a sprinkling of this memory-laden spice and will move you away from sugar-fueled traditional festive treats!
I’m in cahoots with a blog and I’m stealing their pumpkin pie ice cream, but..you could also alter it into a butternut squash pie.. speaking of which!
Butternut squash pie (Pumpkin pie – Purely Amy)
Vegan Christmas Cake *Special Mention* (Old FashionedSusie)
Gluten Free Fruit loaf (sponsored by Delicious Alchemy)
Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Cookies (My natural family)
Chocolate covered everything
Yes, chocolates the enemy, but it’s also great for boosting the happy chemicals that stop us from snacking.Why not buy some dark chocolate and snack on small portions, like I mentioned in my battling sugar post or try these Christmas treats?
Rich Chocolate Ice cream (Dairy free, saves the calories)
It’s an indulgent and decadent ice cream, smooth and rich, it’s perfect for a sin-free Christmas treat!
Paleo Fudge (Peachy Palate)
Made with black beans! Super healthy and ridiculously yummy!
Crunchy, nutty and chocolatey, what more do you want? This is a treat, it’s not something you should have everyday, you could.. but you could damage your hard work if you started eating them regularly, they’re very more-ish!
Just treat yourself but in moderation!
So, it doesn’t need to be chocolate or cinamon, there are tonnes of other festive treats out there to tempt you, so swap anything with some new health-concious ideas!
Spiralised Cookies! (My natural family)They’re plain cookies but you can dip them in chocolate if you really want too!
Coconut and Pistachio Bark! (TheSparkleNest)
Mulled wine
I always say don’t drink your calories, drinks don’t fill you up and they’re normally just fill you up with sugar and calories instead of fibrous foods, however this time of year is very ‘drink’ dense. The best of a bad bunch would be making your own drinks and the biggest one is mulled wine!
A lot of mulled wine you buy can be full of added sugar, why not make your own alcohol-free alternative and slim-down the sugar and fuel up your festive cheer?
Now, If you need even more recipes that’ll help you battle this season you can go to my recipes or the Christmas post page for even more Festive hacks.
All the best,
