Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s are filled with relaxing over delicious food. But all of that rich fare can quickly take a toll on your healthy eating plan. It’s so easy to “fall off the wagon” this time of year, especially with all of those Christmas cookies that are still calling your name!

If you’re looking for a post-holiday recovery plan, these seven healthy recipes will help you get back on track and start feeling better.

Breakfast

Creamy Porridge with Spiced Apple & Cranberry

Recipe and photo courtesy of BBC Good Food.

Ingredients

• 3 apples, cored, peeled, and diced
• 200 grams cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp mixed spice (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)
• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 200 grams oats
• 4 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Put the apples in a pan with 1/2 cup water and cook gently until almost softened. Turn up the heat.
2. Add the cranberries, mixed spice, and 3 Tbsp of sugar and bubble until saucy.
3. Tip the oats, milk, vanilla, and remaining sugar into a big saucepan.
4. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for 4-5 mins until creamy.
5. Divide between 6 bowls and top with the warm or cold fruit mixture. You can also make this a day before serving.

Super Berry Smoothie

Recipe and photo courtesy of BBC Good Food.

Ingredients

• 450-gram bag of frozen berries
• 450 grams strawberry yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 25 grams oats
• 2 tsp honey (optional)

Instructions

1. Blend the berries, yogurt, and milk until smooth.
2. Stir through the oast, then pour into 4 glasses.
3. Serve with a drizzle of honey (if you’d like).

Soup & Salad

Hearty Kale & Chorizo Soup

Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cured chorizo, sliced on the bias
• 1/4 large Spanish onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 fresh cod fillet, seasoned with salt and white pepper
• Grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Sauté chorizo until crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Pour off oil from the chorizo, saving about 1 Tablespoon. Sauté onions and garlic, scraping up any sausage bits, until soft.
3. Add thyme, bay leaf, diced potatoes, beans, and stock and turn up the heat to medium-high. Add chopped kale and bring to a boil for 6-7 minutes.
4. Turn down the heat and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Return chorizo to the pot.
5. In a separate pan, add a sliver of butter and melt. Sear cod on both sides until just browned.
6. Add cod to the soup pot and cook until fish is cooked through.
7. Remove bay leaf, ladle into bowls and add cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
8. Add grated Parmesan and dig in!

Low-Sodium Hearty Beef & Barley Soup

Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 3/4 lb(s) (340 g) boneless grilling steak, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 box (900mL) no salt added beef broth
• 1/4 cup pot barley
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Brown steak with a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven at medium-high heat.
2. Stir in carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add broth, barley, and vinegar. Heat to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Served with green onion sprinkled on top.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Charred Scallion Dressing

Recipe and photo courtesy of Bon Appétit.

Ingredients

• 5 ounces country-style bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 10 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 scallions
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 small rotisserie chicken, meat pulled from bones and shredded
• 6 radishes, trimmed and cut into wedges
• 1 head of lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 avocado, sliced and divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Toss bread and 3 Tbsp oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and crisp around the edges, 8–12 minutes; let croutons cool.
2. Meanwhile, separate scallion whites from greens. Finely chop whites; place in a large bowl.
3. Finely chop greens. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a small skillet over medium. Cook greens, stirring often, until blackened around edges and crisp, about 3 minutes.
4. Scrape greens into a bowl with whites, then whisk in lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Gradually whisk in the remaining 6 Tbsp oil.
6. Pour half of the dressing into a small bowl; set aside. Add chicken, radishes, and croutons to bowl with remaining dressing and toss to coat.
7. Arrange lettuce and half of the avocado on a platter; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp reserved dressing; top with chicken salad.
8. Tuck the remaining avocado around; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Lunch & Dinner

Roasted Squash with Pesto & Mozzarella

Recipe and photo courtesy of BBC Good Food.

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried crushed chili
• 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 red peppers, sliced
• 50 grams arugula
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 125-gram ball light mozzarella
• 4 Tbsp fresh pesto

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Place the squash on a large baking tray. Toss with 2 tsp of the oil, chili, and seasoning. Bake for 15 mins.
2. Take the tray out of the oven and turn the squash. Scatter the onion and peppers over the top and return to the oven for another 25 mins or until vegetables are tender and lightly charred.
3. Toss the arugula with the remaining oil, lemon juice, and some pepper. Pile onto plates and divide the squash, onion, and peppers on top.
4. Tear the mozzarella over the salads and spoon over the pesto. Serve warm.

Wild Rice Chicken Skillet

Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked wild rice
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 baby Bella mushrooms, cut into 6 pieces
• 2 cups baby spinach, packed
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
• Pinch of dried basil
• Pinch of dried red chili flakes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup part-skim Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper
• Fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Using an oven-safe skillet (all stainless steel), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add mushrooms to the skillet; stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Deglaze skillet with chicken stock.
4. Stir in spinach, rice, sour cream, dried basil, and chili flakes.
5. Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet, then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

We wish you the best of luck with your post-holiday recovery! And if you’d like more healthy eating tips, be sure to check out our other resources.

The Lafayette Family YMCA is a community dedicated to healthy living and social responsibility. For more fitness tips and to stay up to date about YMCA events, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.