Healthy and Delicious Christmas Meals for the Family from a Nutritionist

By Steffani Ford – Eat Smart Nutrition Accredited Dietitian & Sports Dietitian

With Christmas just around the corner, it is about that time that the team at Eat Smart Nutrition starts thinking about what delicious spread will be on their family table this year. But who said that healthy food could not be delicious and give us joy? We have put together an entrée, main and dessert to inspire you to plan a delicious and healthy Christmas feast for the family.

Mango, prawn and avocado salad with honey, mustard, and red vinegar balsamic dressing salad                                                                                               

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:      

Salad:  

• 4 cups of mixed salad
• 1 medium mango, cut into cubes
• 1 medium avocado, cut into cubes
• 15 prawns, peeled and cooked
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 9 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• Mint (optional)

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/3 cup Red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup Healthy oil (e.g., olive oil)

Method:

1. Blend honey, mustard, and red vinegar balsamic and oil using the blender and set aside.
2. On a large plate, arrange mixed salad, mango, avocado, prawn, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, prawns and drizzle. Garnish with mints (optional) and serve.

Grilled garlic soy and rosemary lamb chops with mashed potato and roasted summer vegetables 

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 16 lamb chops
• 6 small potatoes (cut in half)
• 1 carrot (cut into large bite-sizes pieces)
• 4 butternuts squash (cut in half)
• 1 small head cauliflower (cut into large bite-sizes pieces)
• 1-2 tbsp healthy oil (e.g. olive oil)

Nutrition tip:

Use an array of different coloured vegetables to get a variety of nutrients (eat a rainbow applies here too). You can swap these vegetables to your favourites.

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce
• 1 rosemary

Method:

1. Combine soy sauce, minced garlic, sugar and hoisin sauce and squashed rosemary (this enhances fragrance and flavour) and place in a container.
2. Heat a lamb chop over medium heat. Add heathy oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add lamb and drizzle the sauce and cook 3-5 minutes on each side.
3. Remove lamb from pan, let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Serve with roasted vegetables and garnish with rosemary

Cooking tips:

Make the sauce and store in the fridge a few hours or even a day before it is used. This maximises the rosemary and garlic flavour.

Christmas ‘Golden Rough’ Slice

Makes 18 slices

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry roasted almonds
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 6 tblsp cocoa powder or cacao
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup pistachios + ¼ cup extra
• ½ cup cranberries + ¼ cup extra

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a food processor, blitz almonds, coconut, coconut oil, cocoa or cacao, vanilla, dates and cashews until a course meal texture.
3. Add in pistachios and cranberries and pulse just to chop slightly and mix through.
4. Press in to baking tray using the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Sprinkle over extra pistachios and cranberries and press down firmly with the back of a wooden spoon (or similar)
6. Keep in refrigerator to maintain firmness. Cut in to 18 slices.

We’re here to help

For more Christmas recipes that are delicious while still being healthy, you can reach out to us by calling (07) 3217 8555 or emailing admin@eatsmartnutrition.com

Happy Holidays!