Holiday beverages bring us cheer and help us remember and create fond memories! Such as sharing hot chocolate by the fire and sharing stories.
The challenge is they also translate into lots of extra/empty sugar, fat and calories we normally wouldn’t consume!
Overdone, these loved holiday beverages contribute to inches around our waistline, and the dreaded extra few pounds that studies show most people gain around the holidays. Specifically, the average holiday beverage can contain upwards of 350 calories and most are created using milk, sugar, alcohol and all sort of chemicals for flavor.
You may be asking yourself, how can I enjoy the holiday season, stay healthy and not feel deprived? I am going to address five common holiday drinks that are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic that you’re likely to come across, and Beauty Detox way to substitute them!
Here are 5 ways to help you get through the holidays without the guilt!
#1: Put that Latte DOWN!
The average latte from a coffeehouse, is made with vanilla flavors, milk, coffee, tons of sugar and whipped cream. There a more then a few Beauty Detox no-no’s involved here!
You may be surprised by how easy it is to substitute this beverage for healthy, tasty treat!
My Vegan Vanilla Latte Recipe only uses 3 ingredients! Unsweetened vanilla almond or coconut milk and stevia to sweeten!
My Vegan Vanilla Latte
Ingredients
- 12 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Stevia to sweeten (optional)
Instructions
- Heat unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a pot to warm it up. Don’t boil!
- Pour the milk into your mug, then add cinnamon and stir.
- Sweeten as desired with stevia.
- Sip slowly and enjoy!!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
#2: What to do about Egg Nog?
Egg Nog is traditionally served around the holidays and is a heavy, sweetened dairy-based beverage, where you um, drink eggs.
It may sound odd to the non-egg nog drinker, such as yours truly, as it was never part of my holiday traditions growing up. But I know that some of you grew up with it and love it.
To create this drink you traditionally use milk, cane sugar, and whipped eggs and garnish with a cinnamon or nutmeg. You may think…how the heck can I make this drink be Beauty Detox approved?
Here’s The Recipe!
Creamy Vegan Eggnog
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons cashews preferably soaked overnight
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and process to mix.
- Place in refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
#3: BUT I love hot chocolate…
A staple for many people over the holidays is hot chocolate, but be careful with this treat! Although it seems like simple ingredients, many pre-made mixes with pretty packages actually have many ingredients in them that we do not want to consume.
Most hot chocolate mixes include a high sugar content and most brands of hot cocoa mix have partially hydrogenated oils – something that should definitely be avoided.
No need to worry, because it is beyond easy to make a Beauty Detox-approved cut of hot chocolate, that is delicious and satisfying. With only 3 things!
Vegan Happy Cow Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 12 oz unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tsp. raw organic cacao powder (if you can only find nibs, make sure to grind them first in a coffee or spice grinder)
- Stevia or coconut nectar to sweeten optional
Instructions
- Heat the unsweetened almond milk - either warm or really hot, depending on your taste.
- Add cacao powder and stevia to sweeten.
- Ahh. Sit back and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
# 4: Apple cider is okay right, isn’t it made with fruit?
Apple Cider is an amazing way to warm up during the cold winter months, if you are making it yourself!
Make sure to read labels or ask about what your beverages are made of. Many times there is large amounts of added sugar in apple cider and that is something we want to avoid as much as possible.
It’s already sweet enough as it’s essentially apple juice. But when making yourself, it’s very important to source an organic apple juice base, as apples are one of the Dirty Dozen produce items, meaning they are one of the most highly pesticide-sprayed crops.
When enjoying apple cider make sure to not overdo it as these holiday beverages are meant to be a treat, not a staple beverage during the holidays.
Below I share a great way to create your own Organic Renewal Cider at home!
Organic Renewal Cider
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic apple juice or cider
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Cinnamon sticks
- Fresh apple slices soaked in lemon juice to garnish.
Instructions
- Heat the apple juice, cinnamon and nutmeg over medium heat, being sure there are no clumps with the spices.
- Once it's hot pour into mugs and garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
#5: How quickly those alcoholic beverages add up…
During the holidays, we all may feel the urge to indulge ourselves a little more then usual and this can apply to alcoholic beverages as well.
Many of our favorite beverages this time of year may have alcohol added to them for an extra kick and 3+ glasses later, we realize we may have had one too many. How do you avoid this happening to you? Go to your events and parties being mindful.
Make sure you have eaten properly throughout the day, and if you are going to have an alcoholic beverage, choose one that is not laced with sugar and dairy.
Sip your drink slowly and try to not have more then one or two glasses at most.
Red wine and simple cocktails like vodka, soda water and lime are a choice all year round. At holiday party’s I sip a little champagne for our toast, to participate, and that’s enough for me. :)
Organic red and white wine can be a good choice when at a party, you can always bring a bottle for your host.
Enjoy These Delicious Beverages This Week!
I hope these quick and simple recipes help you to create the healthiest holiday drinks possible while still allowing you to enjoy every moment of the season. Here is a short cheat sheet you can apply with any holiday drink!
- Substitute milk or cream with almond milk or coconut milk
- Substitute sugar with stevia
- Substitute cocoa with cacao
That’s it! I wish you well in your food and gift preparations this week, but most importantly, I hope you enjoy this magical time for yourself, and with your family and loved ones.
Love,
Kimberly
I have a question Kimberly I know this has nothing to do with drinks but I have always wondered how much quinoa or brown rice ect…. do you eat at dinner in one sitting all your recipes are for multiple people what is a healthy portion size for one person at dinner of these delicious healthy grains I eat one cup with cooked veggies and a salad it is alot of crabs is this ok I’m trying to keep weight off thanks
A lot of Carbohydrates not crabs lol
Me encantaria que hiciera un blog en espanol para poder seguirte ya que tengo tus libros, gracias.
Hello how are you? I have a couple questions I read about the infrared sauna I’m very interesting in have one, can you put it in any room it best wet the floor?
Another question since you don’t eat many grains just in moderation you think you approach to eat is almost like vegan paleo or you believe is OK grain in moderation?
Merry Christmas
Adriana
Dear Kimberly,
I recently started reading your blogs and I just ordered the Beauty Detox Solution online. However, I have a problem with your glowing green smoothie. I happen to be allergic to apples and pears! I have read that maybe if I cook the apples and pears, I can eat them. What could I use in the GGS instead of apples and pears?
Thank you so much and all the best to you.
Cows will be very happy for the cocoa! Homemade cocoa is much better than any packaged kind. I get an instant headache when I try to drink instant cocoa.