Holiday Recipes and Tips

mellybea

Okay, so the "worst" part of the year for someone trying to eat healtheir is always going to be the holidays, where good cooking makes it hard for that diet to stick around. It can be easier than that, fortunately for all of us. By sticking to the prescribed low calorie, high protein, lower carb plan that we most often recommend, you can have your cake and eat it too. Just eat healthier, and watch your portion control. You can have all of your favorites, just do small portions of each, and maintain you protein amount just as if it were a regular day. During this time of year it can seem like the end is in sight for your diet, but just remember to stick to what we've taught you. You can maintain your weight this way, and still manage to enjoy the foods that are prevalent this time of year.

mellybea

Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is a much healthier version than you typically find this time of year. Just make sure to remember portion control, as always, and log your foods to keep up with the amounts of calories, carbs, sugars, and proteins you are consuming. This recipe makes 8 servings, and is done with a pecan crust (recipe to follow this post).

Ingredients
15 oz can pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened soy milk (or unsweetened almond milk, milk, or cream - milk has more carbs, so adjust)
1/3 cup cream
1 C sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener (zero-carb sweetener such as liquid sucralose preferred)
1 teaspoon dark molasses (optional)
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 scant teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch cloves
1/4 t salt

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes

Preparation
As an artificial sweetener, I prefer a form of liquid sucralose, as powdered types have more carbs and sometimes an off-taste.

1) Preheat oven to 425 F. (important)

2) Dump all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and whirl to blend.

3) Pour into the crust.

4) Put the pie in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 375 F. In 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 300 F. (This cooks the crust, so it isn't soggy, but then allows the custard to bake more slowly.) Bake until almost set in the middle, about 30 to 40 minutes more. If it starts to crack a bit around the edges, it's probably done.

5) Cool and serve with whipped cream (the real stuff, made with vanilla and sweetener). How To Make Homemade Whipped Cream

Nutritional Analysis: 8 servings, without crust: 3.5 grams active carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, 5.5 grams fat, 80 calories.

With pecan crust, each serving is 4 grams active carbohydrate with 3.4 grams fiber.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/pumpkinpie.htm

mellybea

Pecan crust

You can use this recipe as yummy lower calorie base to many holiday pies.

1 cup pecan pieces (frozen)
2 T melted butter
2 T sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener of your choice

This recipe contains 116 calories, 4 carbs, and 1 gram of protein.

Recipe taken from http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/pecancrust.htm

mellybea

Lemon Squares
This recipe sounds like delicious (healthier) version of the calorie and sugar packed lemon bars. I have not personally tried it, but if you one of you does, please let us know!

CRUST
1 cup almond flour (fine ground)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp powdered xylitol*
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp raw unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

LEMON TOPPING
1/4 cup almond flour (fine ground)
1/4 cup powdered xylitol*
2 tsp Stevita Spoonable stevia
4 large free-range eggs
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with unbleached parchment paper.

CRUST Combine the almond flour, powdered xylitol, and sea salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, stir together coconut oil, butter and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until lightly golden.

LEMON TOPPING While the crust bakes, prepare the topping. In a blender or food processor (or by hand with a whisk), combine the almond flour, powdered xylitol, stevia, eggs, and lemon juice. Blend on Medium speed until smooth. Remove the crust from the oven. Pour the topping evenly over the hot crust.

Pop back into oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F until the topping is golden at edges. Let cool in the baking dish for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 2 hours to set. Sprinkle with extra powdered xylitol (optional). Cut into bars and serve.

This recipe makes 18 small portions, meant for a taste of sweetness when you need it. One serving contains 91 calories, 1.6 carbohydrates, and 3.1 grams of protein.

http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/5674-lemon-squares