5 traditional holiday recipes with a healthy twist

A comfort food often served with roast turkey or ham, a half-cup serving of stuffing usually contains almost 500 mg of sodium – a hefty amount. It is also higher in less-healthy saturated fat. That is why we have put together a healthier alternative, which is also suitable for vegetarians.

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 stalks of celery, diced

• 1 carrot, diced

• ½ stick of butter

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• a pinch of salt and black pepper

• 100g whole wheat or whole grain bread cubes

• 240ml low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and parsley.

3. Reduce the temperature to medium-low and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly.

4. Combine the bread cubes and onion mixture in a large bowl.

5. Pour broth over the mixture, a little bit at a time, until cubes are moist and gently toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Bake for 40 minutes.

A sweet, rich, creamy drink made of eggs and milk, eggnog is a fan-favourite that can really pack a sugar and fat punch. One serving contains 11 grams of (mostly saturated) fat. That said, having a serving of eggnog or sharing one with a friend is OK. Milk and eggs contain some nutrients, such as calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin A. Eggnog also contains inflammation-fighting spices like nutmeg and a serving of protein.

Looking for healthier options can be tricky, as sugar is often added somewhere to compensate for a lack of flavour. Ideally, we do not need more than 25-30 grams of added sugars per day – so look for options with as little added sugar as possible. Note that more reasonable nog options may still include 10-12 grams per serving.

• 2 eggs

• 250ml reduced-sugar soy milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• 8 cloves

1. Whisk soy milk and egg in a bowl. Cook the mixture over low heat and keep stirring for about 5 minutes.

2. Add all spices and vanilla extract and continue to simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Remove cloves and serve

PS: You can also make other holiday beverages like apple cider or a masala chai (spiced tea) with non-fat dairy or soy. One serving of apple cider has roughly half the calories and none of the fat compared to eggnog. If you make masala chai at home, try using an unsweetened vanilla almond milk that has no added sugar.

We love seeing this side dish on the table: sweet potatoes are mixed with butter and sugar and sometimes even served with marshmallows on top. A small serving of this dish usually has almost 6 grams of saturated fat, nearly 400mg of sodium – a high amount for a side dish – and nearly 30 grams of sugar. On the flip side, sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, which is good for healthy skin and vision; potassium, which helps with muscle function; and fibre. They’re an excellent choice – just not as much when they’re all “dolled up” for the holidays!

• 900g raw sweet potatoes – peeled and thinly sliced

• 120ml maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons melted butter or canola oil

• cooking spray

• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice blend

• a pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and lightly spray the bottom and sides of the baking dish with some cooking spray.

2. Combine salt, syrup, melted butter or cooking oil, and spices in a small bowl. Mix well.

3. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes. Lightly stir to coat the potatoes and transfer the mixture into a baking dish.

4. Cover the dish with aluminium foil. Put in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Set a timer for the halfway mark (around 20-25 minutes), remove the foil and gently stir the potatoes. Replace the foil and continue to bake.

5. The dish is done when the potatoes are “fork tender”, which means you can easily poke through it with a fork. If you like, put the pan back in the oven without the foil on top and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the top is caramelised.

A Hong Kong nutritionist’s healthier mooncake recipe for Mid-Autumn Festival

These wonderful treats are the ideal Christmas treat! We have definitely eaten many in our lifetimes. Sure, they may not be the most nutritious, but we can give them a little boost.

• 170g room temperature slightly slighted butter

• 60g mashed banana or applesauce

• 200g sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 180g whole wheat flour

• 180g plain flour

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.

2. Beat butter, mashed banana/applesauce and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until thoroughly combined. Then, slowly add flour and baking powder. Start mixing slowly, then beat until the mixture looks clumpy.

3. Dust a flat surface with flour and scrape the dough out of the bowl. Pat your dough together, then cut in half and shape into two discs.

4. Roll dough out to about 3mm for thinner, crispier biscuits or 6mm for thicker, softer biscuits. Sprinkle some flour under and over the dough so it does not stick.

5. Use biscuit cutters to press out shapes and use a butter knife or spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets.

6. Bake for 10 minutes until the surface is pale golden and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden.

7. Allow biscuits to cool completely on trays.

These chewy, spiced treats are very popular this time of year. They contain molasses, a source of iron and calcium, and ginger, which helps digestion.

• 65g white sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, put in a small dish and set aside

• 120g plain flour

• 120g whole wheat or almond flour

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 stick room-temperature butter

• 200g stevia

• 1 large egg

• 60g applesauce

• 80g dark molasses

1. Turn the oven to 75 degrees and let it heat while you mix up the dough.

2. Add both types of flour, all the spices, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk together.

3. Add the softened butter to a different, large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until it looks creamy and has no big lumps. Slowly add in the sweetener/stevia, continuing to use the mixer. Then, add the egg, applesauce and molasses and beat together with the mixer until the mixture looks light and fluffy.

4. Add the dry flour and spice mixture to the butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or heavy-duty spatula until the flour is blended and a soft dough forms.

5. Wash your hands. Pinch off small amounts of dough, and roll with your hands to make 2.5cm wide balls. Place each ball in the cinnamon sugar/sweetener you set aside earlier and roll to coat.

6. Place each coated ball about 5cm apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Pop in the oven and bake until slightly cracked on top, about 10 minutes.

7. After taking the biscuits from the oven, use a spatula to lift and then place each biscuit on a cooling rack. You can freeze the biscuits after they cool: transfer to zip-top bags or a sealed container and use within one month.