holiday

It's the holiday season, and if you're hosting a get-together, that means making tons of food! It can be quite overwhelming, especially when you're still trying to be as healthy as possible. Thankfully, there are ways to create a healthy holiday feast that's both delicious and nutritious. This guide will show you how to make great vegetarian (and some vegan) dishes utilizing seasonal food that will both delight and fill your guests.

Hinduism: a religion so old, that most modern-day Hindus themselves find it to be mysterious and enervating to study. It boasts of sciences as advanced as the chanting of the Aum or Om said to kill microbes, and yet it’s reduced to a mere symbolism of temples sometimes. Its holy books have long been lost and reduced to folklore and mythology. And one such book is the Ramayana.

What do you think of when you hear the words “Fourth of July”? Most people think of fireworks, picnics, family, and, of course, food. Dishes like potato and pasta salads, burgers and hotdogs, fried chicken and corn-on-the-cob, and even strawberry shortcake can be a fun way to celebrate a once-a-year occasion, but most traditional dishes are full of processed grains, high in sugar, and saturated with dangerous hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

A weekend in Bali. A month in Morocco. Three weeks camping on the Baja Peninsula. Expensive, exotic yoga retreats, trainings and festivals are popping up all over the globe. As wonderful as it would be to just drop the kids off at Grandma’s and jetset around the world to connect with the yogis and energies of foreign lands, it’s not always feasible -- especially when Grandma’s RVing in North Carolina and you used the last of your PTO when your bestie was in town last month.

Pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite pie. There’s just something about that smooth, dreamy texture that is so sweetly satisfying. For me, nothing says comfort food like having pumpkin pie for dessert, which is why I had to figure out a way to make this spiced, velvety delight without gluten or animal products.

Candy canes are a wonderful holiday treat to enjoy this time of year, but they're not always healthy. They're loaded with sugar and corn syrup: Try making these as a healthy, fun alternative. This recipe in particular will make you approximately 18 sticks. If you wish to make more or less, just double or halve the ingredients. The finished result won't look as perfect and flawless as pe-made candy canes, but they'll definitely be healthier.

Ingredients:

 With the holidays already here, our time of celebration may be filled with family, friends, gifts, and…waste? Yes, waste. One of the major contributors to landfill waste is the holiday seasons. With the large amounts of waste that get produced during the holidays, sometimes people can fall into a dangerous cultural mindset and think that its just normal part of the holidays. You want to be weary of this mindset because it’s certainly not healthy for the environment, which means it’s not healthy for you or others inhabiting this planet either.

Warm up with this vegan version of the traditional holiday eggnog! Whether you enjoy it with alcohol or without, you are sure to be feeling festive as you sip on this creamy, sweet drink. The silken tofu acts as a thickener and the vanilla combines with a touch of cinnamon to spice things up. 

Vegan “Eggnog” Recipe

 Serves 4

Ingredients:

21 ounces (2 packages) Silken Tofu

2 cups Almond Milk

2/3 cup Sugar

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Cold Water

There is no turkey necessary for this simple, but tasty vegan stuffing recipe! Enjoy your holiday meal with a hearty bread stuffing that is sure to remind you of warmth, love and good memories this holiday season. I like using French bread because of its especially chewy crust and soft interior, but feel free to use any kind of sliced bread that you like. The onion and celery add a little bit of earthiness and a depth of flavor that the bread readily soaks up as you slowly bake it to crispiness in the oven. 

Ingredients:

There is nothing quite like Pumpkin Pie; the rich earthiness of the pumpkin, the complex spices and the flaky crust are all classic elements that come together to create this delicious dessert. The almond milk adds some creaminess and the corn starch substitutes for eggs, giving the pie filling a thick consistency. I suggest topping your slice of vegan pumpkin pie with some whipped coconut cream for the full effect!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Yields One Pie

Ingredients:

1 can Pumpkin Puree (15 ounces)