Holiday Survival Tips

As the holiday season is upon us and your schedule gets extra busy! Here are some tips to help you through the holiday whirlwind.

Holiday Preparation Burns Calories

Schedule time and sneak in time to stay active throughout the holidays! Although, also embrace the other ways that you will burn calories during the holiday season preparing for gatherings. For example, one hour of wrapping presents burns about 90 calories, one hour of cleaning burns about 150+ calories, one hour of cooking burns about 240 calories.

Calorie counts based on 150-pound person. Click here for a calorie calculator.

Stock up on healthier snacks!

Sure there will be extra snacks and treats around throughout the holidays. Also stock up on healthier staples like: almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, etc. They are perfect to put out at holiday gatherings or grab to take with you to keep your energy up while running errands.

Other quick and easy ideas to have on hand: clementines, bananas, fruit and nut bars (opt for lower sugar varieties), popcorn, whole grain fig bars

It’s all about balance!

Holiday celebrations often come along with drinks! Balance out alcohol by mixing in a glass of water or club soda between drinks. It will help to keep your overall intake in check, hydrate you, and leave you feeling better the next day.

Plus remember the calorie count that comes along with drinks to help balance out your intake! For example: long island iced tea (8 ounces) 780 calories, eggnog with rum (8 ounces) 370 calories, gin and tonic (7 ounces) 200 calories, light beer (12 ounces) 95 - 135 calories, red or white wine (5 ounces) 120 calories,

If you are throwing a party, serve up a fun non-alcohol “mocktail” like a Sparkling Holiday Mule! See the recipe below.

Sparkling Holiday Mule Mocktail

Sparkling Holiday Mule Mocktail

Ingredients:
Ice
Poland Springs Ginger Lime Mule Seltzer
Fresh Lime Slices
Whole Cranberries (for garnish)
Sprig of rosemary (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Muddle a lime slice in a copper mug (or other serving glass).

2. Add ice and fill with ginger lime mule seltzer.

3. Garnish with whole cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Cheers!

Raspberry-Cider Kombucha

Raspberry-Cider Kombucha (Image source: Molly Morgan)

Raspberry-Cider Kombucha
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh raspberries
½ cup 100% apple cider
½ cup Health-Ade Pink Lady Apple kombucha (or similar)
4 to 5 ice cubes (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine raspberries and cider in a blender and pulse to gently blend. Stir the berry mixture into the kombucha. If desired, add ice. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 140 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 0 milligrams sodium, 33 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 21 grams sugar, 1 gram protein, 103% vitamin C

Reese's Martini

Cheers to the New Year with this Reese’s martini! Such a fun and festive drink! Plus the recipe includes a kid-friendly version. Wishing you the best possible start to 2021 and a healthy year ahead!

Reese’s Martini
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup Reese pieces, chopped (divided)
1 cup vodka
ice
3 ounces milk
2 ounces Chocolate liqueur (e.g. Godiva)
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
chocolate syrup

Directions:

1. Combine ½ cup of the Reese’s pieces and vodka in a container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain the vodka.

2. To prepare the cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Then add the milk, chocolate liquor, and 3 ounces of the Reese’s infused vodka. Shake.

3. Dip the rim of a martini glass in creamy peanut butter and crushed Reese’s pieces. Then drizzle the inside of the glass lightly with chocolate syrup. Fill with the cocktail mixture and serve.

Kid-friendly version: Dip the rim of a glass in creamy peanut butter and crushed Reese’s pieces. Drizzle the inside of the cup with chocolate syrup. Fill the glass with milk.

Tennessee Mule

One of my favorite adult holiday drinks is a Tennessee Mule - ginger beer with bourbon! The recipe is simple a mix of Crabbie’s Ginger Beer and lightened up with club soda or seltzer. Cheers!

Tennessee Mule (Image Source: iStock)

Tennessee Mule
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 bottle of Crabbies Ginger Beer
1 lime, cut into quarters
2 ounces bourbon
4+ ounces club soda or Poland Springs Peach Ginger Seltzer*
Ice

*Peach Ginger Seltzer is a 2020 Poland Springs holiday seltzer flavor

Directions:
1. In each glass muddle 2 slices of lime with 1 ounce of bourbon. Add 1/2 bottle of ginger beer.

2. Fill the glass of choice with ice and add 1/2 bottle (about 5.5 ounces of ginger beer). Top with each glass with club soda or seltzer.

Cheers!

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 165 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 0 milligrams sodium, 12 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar, 0 grams protein

Summer Mojitos

I think that mojitos could be my official drink of summer! Could it be the fresh mint that is making them taste extra perfect? Here are two simple mojito recipes that are easy to make and so refreshing with only 80 - 85 calories each!

For the mint, I have been using pineapple mint which is a variety of mint that I picked up at a local farm stand, which has a light sweet flavor and tastes great.

Plus minus the rum, this makes great mojito-infused water!

Cheers to summer!

Pineapple Mojito (Photo: Molly Morgan)

Pineapple Mojito

Serves 1

Ingredients:
4 - 5 mint leaves
2 - 3 cubes fresh pineapple
2 slices lime
1 oz white rum
ice
club soda

Directions:

1. In a glass muddle together mint, lime, pineapple, and white rum.

2. Add ice and fill with club soda.

If you think you need an extra hint of sweetness, add a drizzle of agave nectar or simple syrup!

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 80 calories, 0 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 0 milligrams sodium, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams sugar, 0 grams protein

Mango Mojito (Photo: Molly Morgan)

Mango Mojito

Serves 1

Ingredients:
4 - 5 mint leaves
2 - 3 cubes fresh mango
2 slices lime
1 oz white rum
ice
club soda

Directions:

1. In a glass muddle together mint, mango, lime, and white rum.

2. Add ice and fill with club soda.

If you think you need a extra hint of sweetness, add a drizzle of agave nectar or simple syrup!

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 85 calories, 0 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 0 milligrams sodium, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams sugar, 0 grams protein

Quarantini

Going stir crazy waiting for the world to open up? This is a lightened up “quarantini” that is refreshing but keeps the calories in check - only 120 calories and 12 grams of carbs. Plus you can easily make them kid-friendly by skipping the vodka! Cheers and stay healthy!

Quarantini - Image Source: Molly Morgan

Quarantini

Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup 100% tart cherry juice (or any juice will do!)
1 cup ice
lime seltzer
1 oz vodka

Directions:

1. Combine the lime juice, cherry juice, and vodka in a glass, stir. Add ice and top with seltzer!

Nutrition facts: 125 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium, 12 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 10 grams sugar, 0 grams protein

Smoothie Recipe: Tart Cherry Kefir

Tart Cherry Kefir (Image Source: Drink Your Way to Gut Health by Molly Morgan)

This Tart Cherry Kefir smoothie is delicious and it delivers a mix of probiotics and nutrient-rich tart and sweet cherries.

Research has found that the nutrients and compounds that cherries deliver are linked to decreasing markers for oxidative stress and inflammation. (Nutrients 2018)

Plus kefir is used in this smoothie, which is a probiotic and yogurt-like beverage. You can find kefir typically in the dairy aisle at the grocery store, an example of a brand of kefir is Lifeway. A bonus with kefir is that it is protein-rich (11 grams of protein per cup) and delivers 12 different types of probiotics or “good bacteria”. In the body probiotics play many important roles related to gut health and studies find that probiotics play a role in boosting the immune system. (Annals Nutrition Metabolism 2019)

Try adding in this smoothie recipe to your routine!

Tart Cherry Kefir

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen sweet cherries
1/2 cup 100% tart cherry juice
1/2 cup kefir
4 - 5 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until icy and smooth.

Divide among two glasses and serve.

This recipe is from Drink Your Way to Gut Health, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2015.