festive food
CalmMoment.com 19Festive
feasting
F
estive food. We get so excited about it and often
spend weeks, if not months, planning what
we’re going to eat and who we’re going to cook
for. Healthy eating is shelved in favour of salty
snacks and sugary treats, and it’s the only time
of year where it becomes acceptable to make every evening
a ‘go on, just one more’ type of night.
It’s fine to indulge ourselves from time to time, but there
can (of course) be too much of a good thing. What starts out
as something enjoyable can turn into a gastronomic
endurance test. Vegetables are replaced by vol-au-vents.
Morning smoothies are swapped for leftovers. It becomes
normal to polish off a box of chocolates in front of the TV.
And, inevitably, after the feast comes the famine. Before
we’ve even seen off the last mince pie, the barren, joyless
foodscape of January stretches before us...Preparation is key
There is another way. It’s not just about the food we eat. It’s
about what we buy, how we prepare it and how we share it.
We can make life easier for ourselves by resisting the urge
to overload the trolley and instead enjoy exploring local
shops, buying local and sharing the prep among our guests.
Unless you love playing chef, you don’t have to be the one
who cooks the big dinner. Invite friends and family over to
help you in the kitchen and enjoy eating the results together.
The best Christmas is one where everyone takes part.Say cheers your way
Some of us love a tipple at Christmas but for many alcohol
doesn’t add much to the celebrations. The latest report from
the Office for National Statistics says that 20 percent of us
are now teetotal. Luckily, there are plenty of delicious
alcohol-free options that taste like a treat – why not try a
non-alcoholic spirit or whip up your own mocktail this year?Food to make you feel good
Instead of hitting the self-destruct button, how about a more
discerning approach to our Christmas feasting? To be clear,
this is not about self-denial. It’s about enjoying ourselves in
a way that doesn’t leave us full of regret afterwards.
Just because it’s ‘Christmas food’ doesn’t mean you have
to eat it. Do you even like mince pies or Aunty Sue’s annual
Boxing Day buffet, or are you just tucking in because you
feel you ought to? Vegetarians used to be treated like
an afterthought at Christmas, and vegans were rarely
considered, but now there’s a vast array of delicious
and sophisticated options for everyone to enjoy.
Our selection of vegan starters, mains, sides and sweets
(including dishes from UK MasterChef finalist Jackie
Kearney) will tempt even the staunchest turkey fan to try
something plant-based this year.
So we’d like to raise a toast to a happier, healthier
Christmas that won’t leave us feeling bloated and broken
afterwards. We say cheers to that!Christmas doesn’t have to mean overindulgence
or the same tired old dishes – this year,
why not make more of your veg?