Healthy Holiday Recipe Swaps

It's that time of year when nostalgia hits hard and the recipes of holidays past start tugging on our heartstrings and giving us insatiable cravings. Now, we are proponents of feeding your soul (within moderation of course), but what if you don't want to or can't have those same recipes because of junk ingredients, food allergies, or health issues? If you're trying to stay healthy, it doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of the holiday experience! Here are several ways to alter your holiday recipes to make them work for you. And hey, you never know, maybe they'll become your new favorites, and your body will thank you for it too!

Sugar Alternatives in Recipes:

Cakes, pies, and Christmas cookies abound this time of year, but what if sugar isn't on your Christmas list? Here are several alternatives to refined sugar to try this holiday baking season!

• Honey, Agave, or Maple Syrup: 3/4 cup = 1 cup of sugar. Since these sweeteners naturally have more moisture than granulated sugar, reduce the liquid in your recipe by about 3 tablespoons. Also, lower the temperature by 25° and bake a few extra minutes if needed.

  
  

• Coconut Sugar: 1 cup = 1 cup of sugar. This choice makes things easy by having a one-to-one conversion and no other recipe adjustments to make. It also serves as a great option in recipes that call for light brown sugar, not just as a white sugar substitute.

  
  

• Dates: 1 cup = 1 cup of sugar. Dates can be used in many different forms as a sweetener. You can use chopped whole dates, date sugar, or date syrup. Choose the best form for the recipe you are making.

  
  

• Stevia: 1 teaspoon = 1 cup of sugar. Stevia comes in both powder and liquid forms, and this conversion will work for either. However, keep in mind that different brands may have different conversions based on their specific formula. Also note that you may need to replace some bulk in your recipe with something like applesauce or yogurt to get the consistency right.

• Xylitol: 1 cup = 1 cup of sugar. This is another sweetener alternative that can be used cup for cup in recipes. However, note that large amounts could cause digestive discomfort and it is not ideal for use in bread recipes. Also please DO NOT feed to pets as it can be toxic to their systems.

Gluten-Free Flour Alternatives in Recipes:

Whether you have Celiac Disease or are simply trying to avoid wheat, gluten, or grains in general, here are some helpful alternatives to traditional wheat flour for your baking and cooking needs. Note that these flours may need adjustment in certain recipes, but these are good starting points!

• Almond Flour: Typically, 1 to 1 1/2 cups = 1 cup all-purpose flour. Since the texture of almond flour is more dense than all-purpose flour, this ratio can change depending on the recipe, so go slow and watch your consistency.

  
  

• Coconut Flour: 1/4 cup = 1 cup all-purpose flour. Coconut flour can be very absorbent, and recipes may need added liquid or wet ingredients like eggs. A good starting point is about 1/4 cup of added liquid for every 1 cup of coconut flour or 1 to 2 added eggs for every 1/4 cup of coconut flour. Coconut flour also works great as a binder in recipes calling for breadcrumbs.

  
  

• Oat Flour: 1 1/3 cup = 1 cup all-purpose flour. Oat flour has higher fiber and greater liquid absorbency so the liquid in your recipe may need to be increased by up to 25%.

  
  

• 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blends or Mixes: One of the easiest ways to do gluten-free baking is to use a gluten-free flour blend that works cup for cup in recipes. Not only does this take a lot of guesswork out of the recipe process, but it's likely been well tested to get the best taste and texture outcome for your baked goods.

Other Ingredient Alternatives in Recipes:

If you've got other allergens in the family, there are still some easy substitutions to keep those favorite recipes on the menu! Here are some of the most common that may be helpful in your holiday pursuit.

• Dairy Alternatives: There are a ton of dairy alternatives available - from milk and cheese to whipped cream or yogurt. Many of the most readily available products are made with almonds, cashews, coconut, or oats. The most important thing to keep in mind with alternative dairy products is that they can sometimes be filled with sneaky ingredients that make them much less healthy than one might realize. Things like seed oils, gums, starches, and added sugars are used as binders, thickeners, or emulsifiers and these can be just as problematic for some as dairy itself. Look for options made with the fewest ingredients possible and consider the flavor of the recipe you are working with. For example, oat milk provides extra creaminess to mashed potatoes, while coconut milk may work better in a cookie or muffin recipe due to its natural flavor.

  
  

• Egg Alternatives: Similarly to dairy alternatives, there are a wide variety of ingredients that work well as egg substitutes in baking recipes. Choose any one of the following to replace 1 egg in your recipe: 1/2 of a mashed banana, 1/3 cup of applesauce, 1/4 cup yogurt, or 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water.

• Butter Alternatives: Just to note - we love butter and think that high quality grass-fed butter is amazing, but we understand that not everyone can have it so here are some other great options! The most obvious alternative to butter is oil, but not all oils are created equal. Seed oils especially can be highly inflammatory to the body, so it is best to choose oils such as avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. Another great choice is lard or tallow but be sure to find a high-quality product that is sourced from animals that were pasture raised and not given steroids, hormones, or antibiotics. Other healthy alternatives to butter include many of the ingredients that can also replace eggs such as Greek yogurt, applesauce, or bananas.

• Cookie Decorations: One of our favorite family traditions is decorating Christmas cookies. Not only is it a special time with family, but it is a fun and creative activity for the holidays that always leaves us with great memories! But the most important thing about Christmas cookies is the decorations - usually dye-filled colorful frostings and sprinkles. Fortunately, it is easy to find replacements for those things at Lucky's! We offer all-natural plant-based food dyes and naturally colored sprinkles to help make your holiday as healthy as possible.

We hope that this list helps finding ways to make your favorite recipes work for you a little easier. This holiday season, we encourage you find joy in all of the traditions - both old and new - that create lifelong memories with family, friends, and neighbors. These are the things that are truly worth holding onto.

As always, we wish you a healthy, happy holiday!

~Lucky's Natural Foods