FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 9, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 27
health
Sweet and savory ways to indulge during the
holidays without sabotaging your wellness goals
One of the greatest pleasures of the holidays
is enjoying traditional fl avors of
the season. Fortunately, there are plenty
of ways to indulge without discarding
all your wellness goals. You can enjoy festive
foods if you plan ahead for holiday
events, and make dishes that aren’t loaded
with carbs and sugar - but still satisfy
your cravings.
“It’s easy to throw your wellness goals out
the window during the season, thinking
you can make up for it later,” said Colette
Heimowitz, vice president, Nutrition &
Education, Simply Good Foods. “But with
a few smart choices, you can celebrate the
season without jeopardizing your nutrition
goals.”
Here are some tips - and recipes - to help
you indulge more thoughtfully this year.
Prep for healthier
holiday gatherings
When you know you’ll be celebrating
at an event chock full of carbs and sweets,
plan ahead.
• Keep your energy up while prepping
for holiday get-togethers by enjoying an
Atkins Vanilla Latte Iced Coff ee Protein
Shake, with 15 grams of protein, 1 gram
of sugar and as much caff eine as a cup
of coff ee.
• Don’t arrive at a party famished so you’re
less tempted to overindulge. Eat a small
low-carbohydrate meal beforehand, like
salmon and salad with olive oil dressing
or veggies and guacamole, to stabilize
your appetite and blood sugar level.
• Don’t linger near the food table. But if
you are planning to partake in the buffet,
opt for protein, veggies, dips, nuts
and cheese.
• Drink plenty of water. Th irst is oft en
mistaken for hunger, so staying hydrated
helps you avoid overeating. Flavor up
your water with lemon, lime or cucumber
slices.
Look for keto-friendly recipes
to grace your holiday table
Try these tasty, low-carb recipes developed
by an Atkins nutritionist to share at
holiday gatherings - or just enjoy between
festivities.
Keto Cranberry
Shortbread Cookies
Th ese delectable cookies blend the tangy
sweetness of cranberries, a hint of almond
and an orange zest icing - and may become
your new holiday favorite.
Prep time: 260 minutes (20 minutes
prep; 4 hours in refrigerator); Cook time:
12 minutes
Ingredients: 1/3 cup cranberries (fresh
or frozen); 2 tablespoons water, divided;
2 tablespoons Truvia Sweet Complete; 6
tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature);
1/3 cup Truvia (erythritol-stevia
blend); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4
teaspoon almond extract; 1 cup blanched
almond fl our; 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum;
1/4 cup confectioners erythritol; 1/2 tablespoon
orange zest
Instructions
1. In small saucepan over medium heat,
bring cranberries, 1 tablespoon water and
2 tablespoons Truvia to a simmer. Cook
until cranberries pop - about 10 minutes
from fresh or 15 minutes from frozen. Set
aside to cool.
2. In bowl of stand mixer, cream together
room temperature butter and 1/3 cup
Truvia until lightened and fl uff y. Add
vanilla extract, almond extract and cranberries,
mixing until well combined.
Add sift ed almond fl our and xanthan,
mixing on low until just combined.
Create 6-inch-long log of dough on
sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap
and chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours,
until very solid. Cookies will spread significantly
if not chilled adequately.
3. Heat oven to 350 F and prepare baking
sheet with parchment paper. Cut cold
dough into 12, 1/2-inch thick rounds and
place on baking sheet, cut side down.
Bake 11-13 minutes until bottom edges
are golden brown. Watch closely the last
few minutes to ensure cookies don’t burn.
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then
gently place on cooling rack and cool completely,
about 30 minutes. Th ese cookies
will be very crumbly until completely
cooled.
4. While cookies cool, in small bowl, use
fork to combine confectioners erythritol
and water to form paste. Dip (or drizzle)
cooled cookies in icing, applying about 4
grams icing per cookie. Sprinkle icing with
orange zest and allow icing to set.
Store in airtight container at room temperature
up to 5 days, or in freezer up to
3 months.
Makes 12 servings. One iced cookie is
one serving.
Low-Carb Warm Brussels
Sprouts Salad with Hazelnuts
Th is quick and easy salad takes 15 minutes
to make. It combines fresh, thinly
shaved Brussels sprouts with a fl avorful
dressing of olive oil, shallots and thyme -
plus sugar-free maple syrup for a hint of
sweetness. Roasted hazelnuts and pomegranate
arils on top add more taste and
texture while giving the salad a colorful,
festive holiday look. See the full recipe at
Atkins.com/recipes.
For more healthy lifestyle tips and lowcarb
recipes, visit Atkins.com.
— Courtesy of BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/recipes
/Atkins.com
