Christmas recipe ideas #2 - mains

To keep your Christmas menu healthy and light this year, why not take an 'Australian spin' on traditional Christmas dinners? In the northern hemisphere the main course usually consists of hot meat, roast vegetables and more hot meat. If you are lucky there may be a few Yorkshire puddings thrown in there, covered in copious amounts of gravy and served with lashings of salt. While this sort of meal goes down a treat on a snowy European Christmas Day, it can be a little hard to digest in the sweltering heat of an Australian summer. So instead of opting for the traditional hot roast and gravy, how about you look at ways that you can make your Christmas menu healthy, delicious and light enough for summer weather? Here are some ideas that take a nutritional yet nice spin on traditional Christmas dinners.

Cold Turkey Salad

Go cold turkey on the fat and sugar this season (excuse the pun) by creating a delicious Christmas salad. With the right dressing and an ample amount of flavour from herbs, spices and salts, salads do not have to be boring or tasteless. Turkey is delicious served cold and tossed with fresh vegetables. To give it a unique flavour you could look at using fruit in your salad too, such as pear, mango or peach. A sweet dressing is also a good idea - just make sure you use Stevia as a substitute for sugar.

Fruits of the Sea

Another way to add extra nutritional value to your Christmas lunch is to opt for seafood instead of roast poultry, lamb or beef. Oily fish is a good source of omega-3 and lean proteins. Some great Christmas ideas include manuka smoked salmon served with greens or fresh tuna with a drizzle of lemon juice and potato salad. For a traditional Aussie meal, crank up the barbeque and lightly fry some king prawns and homemade vegetable kebabs. This type of meal is satisfying and enjoyable and not quite as fattening as your average Yorkshire pudding!

Watching your Weight?

Use a natural sugar replacement! Naturally Sweet Stevia and Naturally Sweet Xylitol are both high in flavour yet low in calories, making them a great healthy choice.