If you have been following a low carb lifestyle for some time and have seen all the successful weight loss, the last thing you want to do is start gaining it all back during the holidays, or even worse, packing on even more pounds than when you started!
A lot of people gain weight in the end of the year and then struggle for months to lose it after. If you are worried about the holidays coming up and all the temptations that will surround you, then it is time to get organized so you can stay focused on your goals and not give in to the seasonal treats you will keep coming across at the office, school, and holiday parties.
Low Carb Holiday Tips:
Try low carb alternatives to traditional recipes.
Most of the foods that we think are an essential part of the holidays are often loaded with carbohydrates. Cakes, cookies, candy, pies, and sugary side dishes like sweet potato casserole smothered in brown sugar and marshmallows appear year after year.
We have grown to expect these foods around the dinner table on the holidays, this year when you do plan your holiday menu, try low carb versions of your family’s favorites instead! This cauliflower mash is a perfect low carb substitute to regular starchy mashed potatoes.
You can also try something new like this easy to make Butternut Squash and Sausage Recipe.
Love pizza? Try this healthier version using cauliflower pizza crust.
Plan Meals Ahead of Time.
The holidays are a busy time and it can be easy to slip up on your diet. Stay ahead of the curve and take some time to plan out your meals for the week.
- Make food for the next couple of days. When you get up Monday morning, the last thing you want to do is make your lunch for the day. You will most likely say, “I’ll just buy lunch today.” Instead on Sunday evening, make at least 3 days worth of food for the week!
- Buy healthy snacks for the week. Some of these low carb snacks are nuts, skinny pop popcorn, stringed cheese, hummus and cucumbers, and kale chips.
- Use a portion calculator. This will help you cook the exact amount of food needed for the number of meals you plan on making.
- Freeze meals. Freeze meals by dividing up the leftovers into a range of low carb TV dinners that you can eat any time you need a low carb meal but don’t have time to cook.
Use Alternative Ingredients.
Pasta. This is one of my weaknesses. Luckily there are alternatives like zoodles and spaghetti squash! Try our very own zoodles recipe! Both are delicious substitutes for traditional pasta.
Coconut flour is a healthier alternative to traditional wheat flour. It contains way less carbs and more nutrients like vitamin E, potassium and magnesium.
Almond flour is another great alternative. It also contains much less carbs compared to traditional wheat flour. Coconut flour absorbs much more moisture than almond flour so you need less coconut flour in similar recipes than other flours.
Check out our article on coconut flour and almond flour – it’ll give a clearer understanding of both ingredients. Alternative flour will help you make low carb holiday desserts.
Stevia a natural sweetener. It’s a great alternative to granulated sugar (aka regular sugar or table sugar). Stevia contains little to no carbs. It’s much sweeter than granulated sugar, so you don’t have to add as much as you would when using granulated sugar.
Put emphasis on filling dishes high in protein and use healthy fats.
Focus on the main meat dishes instead of having all these breads, pastas and other starchy Foods.
A cheese and crackers alternative would be pepperoni or turkey cold cuts and cheese.
This delicious prosciutto wrapped asparagus is great substitute to make a low carb holiday appetizer and substitute the traditional bread in this recipe.
Check out Little Spice Jar’s page for high protein – low carb meals. They feature steak fajitas, garlic butter baked salmon, orange chicken lettuce wraps, and many more amazing recipes.
If you are worried about all the extra work involved, don’t be. You can master 1 or 2 dishes you can eat or bring with you anywhere as a contribution and to make sure that you always have something low carb to eat no matter where the holiday celebrations take you.
The low carb lifestyle can be tough, but it can be even harder if you gain back weight due to the holidays. Don’t undo all of your hard work and make an effort to prepare low carb holiday meals.
