When the festive season comes to mind, it’s easy for our thoughts to wander off into indulgent feelings of gluttony. Endless supplies of candy canes and advent calendar chocolate make the run-up to Christmas a wonderfully sweet time.
But believe it or not, the festive period is filled with a lot of healthy food that have a lot of good health benefits too.
We have put a list together of everyone’s favourite festive foods that make any Christmas dinner complete, showing you the goodness they provide.
Turkey
If you like a good old traditional Christmas dinner, then there is no doubt that a turkey will be the main element of your Christmas dinner spread. It may not be the most exciting of meats, but turkey is actually a very healthy option as it is low in fat and packed with healthy nutrients, such as:
- Protein – an essential nutrient that your body needs for all-round goodness and health. Just to give you an idea of how important protein intake is for our bodies, our hair and nails are made up mostly of the compound, and a good amount is needed to help build and repair tissues, as well as being a building block for muscles, bones and blood.
- Zinc – a very good mineral for the health of our skin and immune system.
- Tryptophan – an amino acid that plays a vital role in producing serotonin, otherwise known as the ‘happy hormone’ to help keep moods and emotions lifted.
Roast potatoes
Your Christmas dinner plate is not complete without an irresistible roast potato or two. Although you may be thinking a carb overload is never a good thing, especially over the festive period, potatoes are actually very good for you when eaten in moderation. They contain a lot of goodness in them, such as:
- Potassium – an essential macro-mineral that assists in the regulation of balanced fluid in your body as well as helping to control the electrical activity of your heart and various other muscles.
- Calcium – isn’t just found in your favourite dairy products, potatoes contain a lot of calcium which helps keep your teeth and bones super strong.
- Vitamin C – helps boost the well-being of your immune system and aids in preventing disease, as well as keeping colds at bay and speeding up recovery time – essential for the cold festive season!
Carrots
Not just for Rudolph, these crunchy Christmas favourites are packed with a whole load of goodness and are so tasty roasted or boiled. Here is some of the goodness found in these staple must-haves:
- Carotenoids – a component that helps to protect vision and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (carrots really do help you see in the dark for longer!)
Carrots also contain a good amount of potassium and Vitamin C which we have already identified and learned about the health benefits of these vital elements.
Brussel sprouts
You may dread the sight of these little green things, or can’t wait to pack your Christmas dinner plate with them, either way they are packed with essential nutrients that are so good for you, such as:
- Omega-3 fatty acids – help in taking good care of vital organs such as your heart and brain.
- Glucosinolates – have been shown to really help in reducing the risk of heart disease.
- Vitamin C – an all-round essential nutrient for helping fight off colds to help heal wounds quicker.
Mulled wine
Christmas really doesn’t feel complete without a steaming cup of mulled wine on a cold winter’s night. If drunk in moderation, this tasty seasonal drink is really good for you as it contains a number of minerals and vitamins with various health benefits, including:
- Antioxidants – mulled wine contains a number of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves – which are all rich in antioxidants and help reduce excessive swelling in the body. This helps your body to recover faster after physical exercise by reducing any muscle soreness.
- Polyphenols – a group of naturally occurring organic compounds which help protect your heart and keep it healthy.
- Piceatannol – can help stop the growth of fat cells by destroying them in the very early stages of development, which can play a small part in the prevention of potential weight gain.
Festive foods all figured out
So, the next time you think of the festive season as a time of indulgence and unhealthy eating, think again. There is a lot of goodness in your favourite Christmas foods that have great health benefits for your bodies. For more advice on foods that can help with various health-related issues, get in touch for a free consultation today.
