My Holiday Meal Plan

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I’m sure most of you already have your holiday meal all planned out, but just in case you don’t – here’s what I’ll be serving up in case you need any ideas!

We’re hosting my family on Monday – as per tradition, my mom does Christmas Eve, and we make the trek to Ottawa on Christmas Day to celebrate at John’s family cottage.

I prefer to avoid cooking while I have people over so I decided to do a make-ahead meal. This way I can actually spend time with my family instead of being in the kitchen all night. I knew we would be having turkey a couple times over the holidays so I wanted to do something a little different.

I decided on my slow-cooker Lamb Curry – it’s aromatic, spicy and hearty – perfect cold weather food. I’m going to serve it up with some whole-wheat naan and tzatziki; something cool to balance out the spice.

For an appetizer, I’m going to make mini caprese salad bites – little skewers of cherry tomatoes, basil and bocconcini cheese with a balsamic glaze. They look festive, and it’s a nice light starter with fresh flavours.

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And for dessert…I found an awesome recipe that I’m going to try from Oh She Glows: a Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Tart. I love dessert, but I love it even more when it’s healthy dessert. This recipe uses dark organic chocolate bars, dates, unsweetened coconut and real maple syrup.

The holidays aren’t complete without a festive cocktail. I’m going to keep it simple and serve up some bubbly with frozen cranberries – looks pretty, and champagne is only 80 calories per glass. I’m going to try Jackson Triggs Entourage Grande Reserve Brut – apparently it tastes like real champagne – lots of bubbles, but without the champagne price tag.

champagne and cran

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Hopefully I’ve given you a couple ideas for your holiday meal. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

BTW – apparently the top 3 Googled recipes of 2014 were:

1. Shepherd’s Pie
2. Tzatziki
3. Rice Crispy Squares

Whaaat? I guess I know what I’ll be making healthy versions of in the new year 🙂 Stay tuned!

About Lauren

Welcome! I’m Lauren Follett. A couple years ago, while working in the corporate world of downtown Toronto, I decided to pursue my passion for healthy living and enrolled in the Distance Education program with The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I studied on my lunch breaks, after work, on the weekends, and while travelling through South America. The world of health & nutrition can be confusing. There are a lot of mixed messages out there when it comes to health: low fat, low calories, sugar-free, low-carb, gluten-free…leaving you confused, frustrated, and wondering where to start. That’s where I come in. As a Registered Nutritionist, my goal is to help you accomplish your health & wellness goals. I don’t believe in diets or quick fixes. I believe in living a healthy lifestyle, which requires you to get educated, and learn how to make healthy choices. I’m dedicated to working closely with my clients to teach & motivate them to make healthy choices, discuss healthy living strategies and create customized nutrition programs that fit with their life.

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