Tag Archives: Healthy Holidays

Low Calorie Holiday Recipes to Bring to Any Party

Christmas mulled wineThe holiday season is all about giving, and you never want to show up to a party empty handed. The benefits are two fold: your host will love you, and you know you’ll have some lower calorie options you can stick to no matter what’s on the menu. Bring one of the following quick and easy, low calorie holiday recipes to your next get together and enjoy yourself, guilt-free.

Noshes and Nibbles

Appe-teasers are simple to prepare and simple to eat, making them great for informal cocktail parties. Look for recipes high in protein to keep you full for hours, like our gal Oprah’s favorite meatballs and stick to lower calorie variations of your favorite traditionally high fat, high calorie dips.

A Lighter Buffalo Chicken Dip 

Oprah’s Turkey Meatballs

Cottage Cheese Dip with Veggies

Steamed Artichokes with Red Pepper Dip

Black Eyed Pea Hummus

Perfect Party Salmon Bites

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Posted on December 21, 2023 by Health Buzz

Double Chocolate Peppermint Donuts Make Christmas Morning Sweet

Quick, it’s Christmas morning, the kids are going bonkers, Santa and Rudolph departed hours ago (wink, wink), and you have a house full of hungry guests to feed – what do you do? Simple: Bake up a batch or two of these delectable and healthy double chocolate peppermint donuts to tide everyone over ’til lunch. Santa would certainly approve.

A few weeks back our editor assigned me the task of dreaming up a “Christmas morning recipe” and my mind immediately went to something sweet. Two things you should know about me are that 1) I absolutely adore donuts, and 2) there’s nothing I crave more during the holidays than all-things chocolate and peppermint. These cravings came together to form one amazing recipe that is perfectly suited for your holiday breakfast table.  (more…)

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Dana

HealthBuzz November 23: Holiday Gift Guides, BestLife and DIR’s Holiday Survival Guide, and Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

Take a break from your Black Friday shopping to catch up on some healthy news! This week’s headlines from DIR include our 2024 Holiday Gift Guides, AB Circle Pro Paying Millions in Refunds, and the Risks Muscle-Enhancement Supplements Pose on Teens. We also have news from our partners at Best Life, Care 2, Organic Consumer, and a recipe from the blog Nook and Pantry.

2024 Holiday Gift Guides: Shop and Win This Year’s Hottest Fitness and Foodie Gear

Having trouble finding a gift for a runner, gym rat or yogi? DietsinReview is here to help with your Christmas gift shopping dilemma. There’s even a chance for you to win some highly sought after items yourself! Scan the slide show and check out the details on how you can win the hottest fitness and foodie gear this holiday season.

AB Circle Pro Must Pay up to $25 Million in Refunds

Looks like another fitness company has to pay refunds to consumers for false advertising. AB Circle Pro users were promised they could lose 10 pounds in two weeks by using the machine. Clearly, this is not a realistic goal nor is it healthy for those who used the AB Circle Pro. If you purchased an AB Circle Pro make sure you get your refund as soon as possible! Check out the article for details. (more…)

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Samantha

5 Healthy Recipes to Enjoy Using Holiday Leftovers

Now that January is upon us, your weight loss resolutions might tempt you to fill a trash bag with all of the high-sugar, calorie-laden sweets and treats leftover from December’s celebrations and festivities. Before you do, think twice.

According to Jonathan Bloom, creator of WastedFood.com and author of the 2024 book American Wasteland,  Americans waste as much as half of the food produced every year. Instead of contributing to this growing crisis, turn some of your favorite sweets and decadent holiday meals into healthier recipes that will help you get back on track for the New Year.

Use: Leftover holiday ham
Make: Country-Style Split Pea Soup with Ham. Instead of repeating your holiday meals well into the new year, use leftover meats, especially of the sodium-packed variety, in healthy soups or stews. This one is packed with fiber…and flavor.


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Posted on December 31, 2023 by Maris

Healthy Kwanzaa Recipes from The DailyBurn’s Kate Brown

The holidays are a time when people get to indulge in their favorite traditional dishes. Kwanzaa, a holiday celebrated largely by African Americans, is a week-long celebration that begins December 26 based on the year-end harvest festivals that take place throughout Africa. As with many other holidays, there are a number of classic dishes associated with celebrating Kwanzaa.

“If you are trying to stick to a healthy nutrition plan, holiday meals can cause some anxiety,” said Kate Brown, recipe developer, trainer, and healthy living writer for DailyBurn. “Do you throw out your diet and go to town or do you turn your nose up as your favorite dish gets passed around the table?”

As it turns out, there is a happy medium between abstaining from your favorite foods and ditching your diet plan altogether. If you’re cooking the holiday meal, all you have to do is give your favorite recipes a healthy makeover. If you’re attending a party, bring a healthy dish for everyone to share.

Whether you’re hosting or attending a Kwanzaa celebration, Brown has provided menu-planning tips and two favorite recipes that embody authentic African cuisine.

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Posted on December 26, 2023 by Maris

Weight Loss is Possible Even During the Holidays

Renée Ross leverages the power of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of important social and health-related causes. Renée has lost over 50 pounds and utilized social media to document her journey. She ran her first half-marathon in October 2024 and raised over $5000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a member of Team in Training. This year she has run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon, the NYC 13.1, the Rock n Roll Savannah ½ Marathon and will run the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day 1/2 Marathon and the Miami Latin Music ½ marathon. Renée is also a licensed Zumba instructor. You can read more tips by Renee on her blog ReneeJRoss.net

Healthy living. I have been on a journey to healthy living on and off for the majority of my life. And we are all familiar with the hardest time of the year for healthy living – the holidays! But, I truly question this. Is the holiday season truly the most difficult time of the year? When you think about it, there are several major holidays in a 6 week span of time. But because it is the holiday season, why do we think we have carte blanch to forgo all of the healthy habits we’ve developed during the year?

When I started my weight loss journey in 2024, it was the week of Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING! That week, I ended up losing 8 pounds. And not only did I have a lovely Thanksgiving meal but I also went out for sushi! So, by making healthy choices we can indulge and enjoy the holidays without going overboard and having ten extra pounds to lose when the New Year rolls around!

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Posted on December 23, 2023 by GuestBlogger

The Scramble’s Aviva Goldfarb Shares her Healthy Hanukkah Menu

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates an ancient battle victory and the re-dedication of a holy temple in Jerusalem. Though it isn’t the holiest Jewish holiday, it is one of the most anticipated; it typically falls within several weeks of Christmas and is associated with the festive holiday season.

Like other winter holidays, there are a number of traditional dishes that are essential to the Hanukkah celebration. It can be difficult if you are on a diet or trying to maintain a healthy weight, especially since the Hanukkah celebration lasts eight nights as opposed to many other holidays, which last one or two.

“As with any holiday, plan to allow yourself a little bit of indulgence,” said Aviva Goldfarb, author of The Scramble. “Different people have different traditions. I don’t bake a lot of cookies during the holidays but my family loves sweet potato pie as a side dish. I also make latkes baked or pan fried in less oil.”

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Posted on December 20, 2023 by Maris

Recipe Swaps for a Healthier Hanukkah

flamesIt’s almost time to light the menorah, spin the dreidel and of course, indulge in some of your favorite healthy Hanukkah recipes. If there is ever an occasion to indulge, a holiday is certainly a good one. Though it’s reasonable to help yourself to small portions of your favorite dishes on a day of celebration, you can also create lighter alternatives.

Instead of Beef Brisket…make Spiced Pot Roast. Brisket is a notoriously fatty cut of meat. To trim calories and get more bang for your nutritional buck, purchase the flat “first-cut” section and prepare it with plenty of fresh herbs and spices instead of in a sauce with added fat.

Instead of Noodle Kugel…make Sweet Potato Kugel from Cheap, Healthy, Good. Kugel, which some liken to a “Jewish casserole” is traditionally made with noodles cooked in a creamy base with raisins, nuts or fruit. A healthier version is made with sweet potatoes, which are full of Vitamin A, fiber and potassium.

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Posted on December 19, 2023 by Maris

Happily Eat Carbs for the Holidays

Heather Sokol is the frugal mother of 3 girls. She has lost 30 pounds in the last year and blogs about her weight loss journey at Just Heather.

Cookies. Candies. Pie.

It’s a trifecta of holiday goodness. And, a whole lot of carbs to derail a year of healthy habits. It’s all about striking a balance between maintaining my weight loss and taking part in the festivities.

Family gatherings take place in the kitchen and celebrations revolve around food. Dessert is as much a part of the holiday traditions as Santa and stockings. So, what’s a carb loving girl to do when she goes home for the holidays?

This girl enjoys the carbs. In moderation.

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Posted on December 18, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Handle Holiday Stress with Fun Runs

By Dana Walsh from FitCeleb.com

The holidays can be a stressful time for sure.

That’s why my family and I make sure we de-stress with a holiday run that our community coordinates every year. It’s a five mile run that takes you throughout the neighborhood. So how does it help with de-stressing?

For one it brings my family together, well mainly me and my cousins, because we all are working towards one thing – making it through the run alive! Hehe. It also becomes a team effort by training together, and helping each other stay motivated leading up to the run. Of course there are those moments where work gets in the way, someone needs to holiday shop or run errands, or kid stuff gets in the way, but it’s the end result that’s rewarding and the journey that we took together.

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Posted on December 17, 2023 by GuestBlogger

15 Holiday Apps to Help You Get Through the Season Stress Free

It’s holiday time, and you all know what that means: a long list of stuff to do and all of the relevant stress. Instead of getting overwhelmed, let your smart phone do the work for you and enjoy a very h”app”y holiday season!

Here are 15 of my favorite holiday smartphone apps in the categories of gifting, travel, entertaining, and even exercise to help you get through the season with ease.

Santa Tracker ($.99) – My kids have always been enormous fans of the NORAD Santa tracker – but using the computer site tends to tie you to the house. Use this app to track Santa, send a letter, or even visit his blog.

Christmas Gifts List (free) – We’ve all done it. You bought a gift for someone and then realized that you spent more on her sister. This app will help you avoid that sticky situation. You can track gift giving by amount, note individual preferences and add wish list items.

Mint.com (free)- The pinnacle of budgeting, now conveniently located on your phone. Manage your money, budgets, expenses and bills  in the palm of your hand. Add categories, and never lose money again.

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Posted on December 14, 2023 by Carmen