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5 Tips To Help You Stay On Your Diet During The Holidays

Vinnie Stevens — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 09:19:00 +0000

Dieting during the holidays…is it possible? You bet your life! People have this notion that the holiday season is reserved for overeating and drinking excessive amounts at functions, parties, and work events. Plus, letting loose is often a great way to relieve the inevitable holidays stress or pressure from family and friends. That does not mean that you have to succumb to the temptation of endless holiday treats.

Most people hold emotional attachments to holiday-specific dishes or treats. It is very common to associate these foods with meaningful memories during the holidays. The holidays are well underway, and there is no time like the present to take action. It will be difficult, but we believe that you have the strength to conquer the holidays while adhering to your diet! The following tips may help you dodge the pressure to overindulge.

Plan Ahead

This rule truly applies to many things in life, but preparation is essential if you want to avoid failure. If you feel that your surroundings influence you easily, make your surroundings more comfortable. In fact, studies suggest that planning ahead and creating a plan can double your chance of success. If you plan to attend a holiday party, bring a healthy appetizer or dish, in addition to a healthy dessert option. When you know you have healthy food options, you will be less likely to overindulge on unhealthy items. If you are going to travel, make sure to plan ahead by bringing healthy snacks.

Fill Up On Vegetables

Holiday spreads tend to showcase an assortment of carbs, proteins, and high-calorie desserts. Try your best to load up your holiday plate with as many vegetables and fruits as you can. Not only are they naturally rich in various nutrients, but they are also much lower in calories than other dishes. That doesn’t always apply, especially if you eat green bean casserole and candied yams. When we say “veggies,” we mean fruit salads, leafy greens, carrot sticks, and other sautéed root vegetables.

Prioritize Your Favorites

There are seasonal treats that everyone looks forward to during the holidays. Maybe your vice is a slice of pumpkin pie or grandma’s homemade cinnamon rolls. There is nothing wrong with a small indulgence, but the trick is choosing the things you truly want to enjoy. If you say “yes” to everything, you are not doing yourself, or your diet efforts, any favors. Use this time of year as an opportunity to prioritize what you love and be strategic about it. That is especially true if you line up at the holiday buffet!

Track Your Calories And Macros

This sounds like an unpleasant chore, but you should keep track of your food intake because treats and alcohol are aplenty this time of year. It is very easy to go overboard with food, but paying attention to how much you consume is the best way to hold yourself accountable. When you input the information into your calorie counter, the results may surprise you. Small indulgences, such as a peppermint mocha latte, can affect your weekly average. Track your daily intake and use weekly averages to help determine whether you are sticking to your diet or not. Don’t punish yourself if you go a little overboard; rather, do your best to get back on the horse and meet your daily goals starting the following day.

Remember Your “Why”

Weight loss motivation is more powerful than you realize. Remembering why you started your diet in the first place may be all it takes to keep holiday eating in check. If you have a support system, lean on them because they may help you remember why you started your weight loss journey. Remembering your “why” doesn’t mean that you have to eat perfectly. It will, however, remind you to either exercise or balance your indulgence with some healthier options. Change is very difficult, especially in regards to eating habits, and you have to work constantly to maintain your diet. Don’t give up on yourself just because you encounter some obstacles. You are strong and can make the necessary changes to maintain your diet this holiday season.

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How To Make Vegan Condensed Soup Substitutes

Vinnie Stevens — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 09:29:00 +0000

Canned condensed soup is very popular around the holidays. There are also people who enjoy these creamy soups year round, but they are incredibly unhealthy. They are filled with unhealthy fats, excess sodium, added sugars, and too many preservatives to count. If you are vegan or dairy-free and want to enjoy these soups, good luck because they do not really exist. That’s why this article is dedicated to providing you with a how-to guide on how to make vegan condensed soup substitutes.

In this post, we will share all of the best cream of soup tips, tricks, and recipes for gluten-free, vegan versions. When you have these available to you, many culinary feats become possible. You can make vegan pot pies, green bean casserole, and who knows what else. These vegan substitutes will truly enhance your winter comfort food game in more ways than you know.

The key to “veganizing” classical non-vegan casseroles is to use vegan condensed soup substitutes. You can make a big batch and freeze what you don’t need. Whenever you do need some, simply defrost it and it’ll be good to go!

What Is Condensed Soup?

Condensed soup is basically just regular soup that you cook or simmer down until almost all of the water has boiled out. That yields a thick soup that you can later reconstitute with water or milk. Campbell’s Soup Co. created this concept back in 1897, and this revolutionized the soup industry. Condensed cream soups have been the basic recipe of butter, wheat flour, heavy cream, and whatever “cream of” ingredient is in the title, for example, mushroom, broccoli, or chicken.

The vegan substitutes in this article break all the conventional rules. They only contain natural ingredients and they don’t include flour, cream, and butter. Plus, you don’t have to wait hours for your pot of soup to boil down!

What You’ll Need To Make Condensed Soup Substitutes

There are some different recipes in this article, but the basic ingredients you’ll need are as follows:

Water
Red lentils (dried, not canned), which give the soup that almost gelatinous, “cream of” consistency
Flavor, which will depend on the variation you make
Raw cashews add great creaminess and fat to condensed soups. You can also replace raw cashews with raw sunflower seeds if you have a nut allergy. Just make sure to add one tablespoon of olive oil to the blender if you use seeds.

How To Make Healthy Vegan Condensed Soup

The process to make the soup is very simple, but the soup can take a little while to set. You can easily make a double batch of condensed soups and freeze some for later. In general, the following steps will yield excellent vegan condensed soups:

Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer (covered) for 10 minutes. You basically want to overcook the lentils and soften the cashews.
Step 2: Carefully transfer your soup mixture to a high-speed blender and start blending on low, slowly increasing the speed to blend the ingredients into a creamy consistency.
Step 3: Once your mixture is luxuriously creamy, transfer it to three or four eight-ounce mason jars and screw on the lids. Make sure to take precautions as the when you do this and once the soup has completely cooled, press down on the center of the lid to seal the jar tightly.

Vegan Substitute For Cream Of Chicken Soup

Get ready to make vegan renditions of classic casseroles from your childhood with this recipe. It is perfectly healthy, dairy-free, and vegan, and it comes together in just about 20 minutes with five simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups water
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1/3 cup raw cashews
3 tablespoons vegan bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer, cover, and continue cooking over low for 10 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Pour the mixture into eight-ounce mason jars and screw on the lids. Let them cool completely before placing them in the fridge or freezer for future use.

Vegan Cream Of Potato Soup

Dairy-free condensed cream of potato soup is great to thicken other soups, stews, casseroles, and creamy sauces.

Ingredients:

2.75 cups water
1.25 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon dried onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon celery salt

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer, cover, and continue cooking over low for 10 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Pour the mixture into eight-ounce mason jars and screw on the lids. Let them cool completely before placing them in the fridge or freezer for future use.

Vegan Cream Of Mushroom Soup

This is a much healthier alternative to the canned variety that you are familiar with. It works great with crockpot or casserole recipes, boasting incredible depth of flavor. In fact, you’ll be shocked at how similar it tastes to the original!

Ingredients:

2.5 cups water
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1/3 cup raw cashews
1.5 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer, cover, and continue cooking over low for 10 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Pour the mixture into eight-ounce mason jars and screw on the lids. Let them cool completely before placing them in the fridge or freezer for future use.

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These Are The Worst Thanksgiving Dishes For Your Health

Vinnie Stevens — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 09:11:00 +0000

A lot of people look forward to the Thanksgiving feast for months. Is it a healthy holiday? Absolutely not, but people excuse themselves from diet restrictions on Turkey Day to gorge on the impressive spread. Between the casseroles, turkey, stuffing, pies, mashed potatoes, and endless selection of other sides, it’s safe to say that you can easily rack up the calories. In fact, the Calorie Control Council estimates that the average American consumes about 4,500 calories during the Thanksgiving feast alone. That doesn’t even include the rest of the day!

Just in case you were wondering, 4,500 calories is more than double the recommended daily calories you should consume in a day. Research has shown that Americans experience an average weight increase of up to 0.2% over Thanksgiving, and 0.4% over Christmas. That may not sound like a lot, but the average person doesn’t lose that weight either. Year after year, this can accumulate and cause a lot of weight gain.

While there are certain dishes that you can only get on Thanksgiving, exercise moderation and control when you encounter these foods. Most foods are on the “naughty list,” dietarily speaking, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid them entirely. Enter the Thanksgiving feast with a game plan and do your best to control your portions, especially in regards to the following unhealthy dishes.

Stuffing

People love to gobble up stuffing, which is nothing but a calorically dense, carbohydrate-rich, fattening side dish. It does taste good though, right? Most people use store bought stuffing mixes, which contain preservatives, excess sodium, and processed ingredients. Plus, stuffing often contains bacon, giblets, and sausage, which can increase the calories to 500 per cup. Many people often eat more than two cups, accounting for 1,000 calories with one dish. Get a small portion, or make stuffing a little healthier by using less meat in your stuffing. Consider reducing the butter content by 50% and using lower-calorie and lower-sodium ingredients as well.

Green Bean Casserole

You either love it or you hate it, but green bean casserole is a staple on many holiday tables. It’s a vegetable dish, so how can it be unhealthy? Even though it may be the only green you see on the Thanksgiving menu, it tends to contain 200 calories, 22 grams of carbs, 8 grams of saturated fat, and 574 milligrams of sodium per serving. Keep in mind that most people use canned creamy soup and fried onions, increasing the sodium, fat, and calorie content. If you do make it, try to use fresh green beans and low-sodium soup to keep the sodium down.

Pecan Pie

Perhaps the most calorically-dense item at the Thanksgiving feast, pecan pie tends to be a family favorite. You may want to rethink your dessert choice, now that you know a slice of this pie contains over 500 calories and a ton of sugar. Gut health experts agree that pecan pie is one of the worst food options at Thanksgiving. Try something a little lighter, less buttery, and less sugary for dessert. Baked apples with cinnamon topped with Greek yogurt are quite lovely!

Macaroni And Cheese

Traditional mac and cheese recipes call for milk, butter, piles of cheese, and potentially more milk and butter. Plus, you have the enriched flour and carbs from macaroni. That means that this staple side dish can topple over the 1,000-calorie mark per serving. It’s difficult to lighten this serving, but you can do it. Use smaller amounts of flavorful cheese like sharp cheddar or pepper Jack, and consider supplementing with reduced fat cheese. Add vegetables like chopped cauliflower or cubed butternut squash to your mac and cheese to replace some of the pasta.

Candied Yams

For some people, Thanksgiving is not complete without a dish of yams topped with golden-brown marshmallows. Unfortunately, this dish contains about 450 calories per serving due to the artery-clogging fat from all the cream and butter. Plus, the processed, sugary marshmallows only add unhealthy preservatives and chemicals to the mix. There are so many ways to make this sweet potato dish a lot healthier! Use low-fat milk and flour for thickening instead of using heavy cream. Lastly, make a lighter, crunchy topping with some chopped pecans and a few pinches of brown sugar.

Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes have an impressive nutritional profile, but the copious amounts of butter, cream, and milk make mashed potatoes quite an unhealthy dish. In fact, an average serving of mashed potatoes contains 400 calories. Drizzle a hefty amount of gravy on the potatoes and you raise the calorie count by 200. There are so many alternatives to mashed potatoes that offer more nutritional value, so long as you skip all the butter and cream. Opt for mashed cauliflower or a combination of potatoes and root vegetables like parsnips. Celeriac is another great potato alternative!

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Thanksgiving Portion Control: 5 Genius Hacks

Vinnie Stevens — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:14:00 +0000

There are many things to love about Thanksgiving, and overeating is not one of them. It’s safe to say that most people eat enough carbs during the big meal to last them an entire month. Between the stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, pie, and other carbs, the Thanksgiving meal accounts for more than 3,000 calories and nearly 160 grams of fat. Those numbers are based on a full-on binge, and even though it only happens once a year, other factors like sodium and sugar can take a toll on your health.

You don’t have to overindulge just because it’s Thanksgiving. It’s just so easy to add delicious options to your plate! We get that, but is it worth it to feel bloated and sick? Nutritionists suggest that it is better to choose smaller portions first and then go back for seconds of the foods you enjoyed the most. How exactly do you eyeball the right-size portions, though? Well, we have a little cheat sheet for serving sizes of the most common holiday dishes. Hopefully, this information helps you better navigate how much food you put on your plate.

Mashed Potatoes

Is the Thanksgiving meal complete without mashed potatoes? Potatoes offer some health benefits, but all the salt, butter, and cream that goes into mashed potatoes renders them unhealthy. Not to mention the fact that people drown them in fattening gravy. Ideally, you will only serve yourself a half-cup of mashed potatoes, which registers 119 calories and 18 grams of carbs. Sticking to a scoop that is roughly the size of a 25-foot tape measure is best for your help.

Gravy

You can’t have the aforementioned mashed potatoes without gravy, right? Some consider that a sin! People get carried away with gravy, ladling it over the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and even the occasional slice of pie. Nutritionists recommend the serving size for gravy to be no more than one-quarter cup, which is about one-and-one-half shot glasses. Gravy can be very high in sodium, so take it easy with the ladle, especially if you need to keep an eye on your blood pressure.

Green Bean Casserole

Some people cannot let Thanksgiving happen without green bean casserole, while others don’t care for it at all. Vegetables are not usually the issue at Thanksgiving, but they are when you smother them in mushroom cream sauce and packaged fried onions. An eight-ounce can of cream of mushroom soup is very high in sodium and fat. The average green bean casserole yields about 735 milligrams of sodium and five grams of fat per cup. If you serve this dish at your Thanksgiving, try to keep the portion size to one cup. You can also go a little healthier, foregoing the cream of mushroom soup and fried onions and simply sauté green beans in olive oil with garlic, onions, and lemon juice.

Pie

There is never a shortage of pie at the Thanksgiving table. One could say that there are too many pies available to everyone. Desserts sneak a lot of extra calories, sugars, and carbs. A standard slice of pumpkin pie clocks more than 300 calories, not including whipped cream or cream cheese frosting. A slice of apple pie is very comparable, calorically speaking, but pecan pie is the densest and contains nearly double the calories. For a slice of pumpkin or apple pie, one slice is sufficient (about the size of a kitchen sponge). Cut that serving size in half if you go for pecan pie.

Stuffing

Stuffing is like the mystery meat of starches, in that recipes vary so much (nutritionally speaking) depending on how you prepare the dish. Some people just use the classic box of stuffing mix and add in some onions, carrots, and celery. Others make their own croutons from whole-wheat bread and incorporate more vegetables, herbs, seasonings, nuts, and homemade vegetable stock. So many stuffings, however, contain tons of butter, bacon, sausage, duck fat, or even lard. This is not a dish that contains a lot of fiber or healthy nutrients. For that reason, nutritionists recommend the serving size be a half-cup.

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The Best Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Vinnie Stevens — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 16:30:48 +0000

This recipe is a holiday favorite here at Dherbs. The sweet potato portion is delightfully creamy and isn’t too rich or filled with unnecessary fats. The crunchy topping takes this dish to another level. Enjoy it this holiday season.

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Green Bean Casserole That’s Vegan And Gluten Free!

Vinnie Stevens — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 16:30:56 +0000

We bet you’ve never seen green bean casserole done like this before. Leave the frozen and processed ingredients at the store because it’s all about freshness with this dish. This is savory, creamy, and you’re definitely going to want save some for leftovers.

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The Best Sides To Bring To Thanksgiving

Vinnie Stevens — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 00:00:15 +0000

Some people think that Thanksgiving is only about the turkey, but this holiday is truly all about the sides. Sides comprise the majority of a Thanksgiving feast. Some sides get more love than others because you just can’t seem to get enough of them. What are you bringing to your Thanksgiving gathering this year? If you don’t know we have some killer sides that you can make. Your side dish might even be the life of the party.

Most Thanksgiving sides are loaded with fats, unhealthy carbs, and tons of dairy products. A lot of people will argue that those ingredients are what make the dishes taste good. Those ingredients are also the primary cause of weight gain during the holiday season. These dishes, which cause weight gain and impair the digestive system, will more than likely adorn the Thanksgiving table you sit at. You can, however, change the game by making some of our favorite sides. They are truly fantastic.