The holidays can bring about some toxic things, especially toxic food. Most of the time you are eating drastically different than you usually do, have little control over what you are eating, drinking way more than you normally do, and it can feel overwhelming to keep the holidays non-toxic. I hope to give you some easy holiday swaps that you can incorporate into your holiday dinner!
Also, if you are feeling overwhelmed in general about the holidays, you are not alone! Check out my blog post here to learn how I avoided stress this holiday season!
My husband and I have hosted one holiday event, and I can’t even remember if it was Christmas or Thanksgiving. We are very familiar with traveling between homes for the holidays. Typically we spend time at my parents house and my in-laws house. We really do not have control over what is being served (which is fine with me because I feel like that is more stressful) but we do contribute and bring food to help out.
When you are someone who likes things a little less toxic, it can be hard to go over to other peoples homes and enjoy yourself when you are worried about ingredients. So whether you are trying to create a whole non-toxic holiday dinner, or just looking to contribute a non-toxic side, I hope these ideas help you!
Also, since traditionally Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are the same, that is what I based my holiday swaps on!
Veggies
Veggies are always on the table for the holidays. They aren’t always the most popular choice, but they are always there. It’s really easy to grab a canned vegetable but it’s just as easy to grab fresh produce or even frozen vegetables. If you are looking for a less toxic route, ditch the cans. Vegetable cans can be lined with BPA, a toxic chemical that helps keep the cans from corroding. Also, vegetables in cans typically have more sodium and/or sulfates to give them a longer shelf life.
If you are looking for a non-toxic holiday swap, I would suggest frozen or fresh vegetables. Vegetables are so easy to make and most of the times you can just set them and forget them in the crock pot. Here is how I make my green beans for holiday dinners:
Ingredients:
- Fresh green beans
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon
Directions:
- Wash green beans and throw them in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice on green beans. Again do this to taste. I like to be able to taste the lemon so I typically squeeze both lemon halfs on my green beans.
- Place green beans in crock pot on low for 4 hours. Once they are cooked, you can set crock pot to warm and leave them in there. Or, you can cook the green beans in the oven. Set oven to 350 degrees and place green beans in a glass pan. Cook for about 30 minutes.
Gravy Packets
Gravy packets are quick and easy. But, whipping up some homemade gravy is just as easy too. All you will need to make your own gravy is:
- Flour or arrowroot powder
- Salt/pepper/seasonings
- turkey pan drippings
All you have to do is whisk all these together and add more ingredients as needed.
If you don’t want to make your own gravy, there are some organic gravy packets that you can try as well. I will use the Kroger brand Simply Organic when I use gravy packets. When you choose an organic brand, you know that it will be free of GMO’s and harmful pesticides.
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is a huge staple for Thanksgiving. I know my parents make it every single year. I’m not sure if it is as popular on Christmas, but I know we have had it on Christmas before. It can be really easy to run out and buy a can of cranberry sauce but it’s such an easy holiday swap.
To make cranberry sauce, all you need is:
- Cranberries
- maple syrup or orange juice (or fresh oranges)
- honey
- a pinch of salt
Seriously all you do is put this in a sauce pan, heat, and stir until all the cranberries pop. That’s it! You can even make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Just heat it up in a sauce pan the day you need it.
Cool Whip
This is always a favorite to put on pumpkin pie, or any kind of pie. But, cool whip can have high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and gmo products. Once again, making it yourself is super simple! All you will need is:
- organic heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or regular sugar will work)
To make the cool whip all you need to do is place all items in a bowl and use a hand mixer to mix together. Super simple holiday swap!
Mashed Potatoes
This is my final holiday swap and my favorite! I love mashed potatoes! However if you are making them out of a box, you are seriously missing out. If you are using box mashed potatoes, you are getting gmo products, artificial flavors and coloring, and artificial preservatives. Making mashed potatoes is so easy, but it does take more time than the boxed version.
To make mashed potatoes, all you will need is:
- Potatoes
- Butter
- Milk
- Seasonings (optional)
There are so many different ways to make mashed potatoes but the ingredients typically stay the same. I could recommend looking up a specific recipe for how you want to cook them through Pinterest (also, follow me!). You can cook them on the stove, Instant Pot, or even the crock pot. Any way you choose to make them, the steps are pretty much the same. Heat the potatoes, mash them, and add your other ingredients.
Whether you are looking for a totally toxic free Holiday dinner or just looking for a couple holiday swaps, I hope these were helpful! Also, just remember, one day of eating is not going to ruin the work you have done of removing toxins from your life! Don’t sweat the small stuff, especially on a day that should be filled with cheer!
Happy holidays!