Here’s my Christmas gift to you: less time in the kitchen and zero guilt after the feast. With this menu, you can indulge your taste buds with traditional dishes that won’t break your macro bank.
This year, pick your Christmas menu from these quick, macro-friendly versions of the classics.
Mangia on These Macro-Friendly Main Dishes
Roast Turkey: Preparing this roasted whole Turkey is a cinch. No brining. No basting. Just pat it dry, stuff it with veggies, and rub it with some herbed butter (make it or buy it for an even faster recipe!).
Roast Beef: This crock pot roast beef recipe takes 10 minutes to prep. Plus, it packs in 52 grams of protein per serving!
Glazed Ham: This no-sugar glazed ham is sweetened with monk fruit and spiced with Christmas flavors, like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
Prime Rib: An easy, fool-proof prime rib, this recipe couldn’t be easier with only three ingredients. It’s the simplist way to make a delicious roast for Christmas.
Sample These Satiating Side Dishes
Mashed Potatoes: These hands-off, high-protein mashed potatoes are rich and creamy. An Instant Pot does the heavy lifting, leaving you with a few minutes of prep work. I use gress-fed butter and serve the cheese on the side.
Mashed Cauliflower: Some years, mashed cauliflower makes my mouth water more than the traditional potato recipe. It’s slightly sweet flavor and tender texture pairs with the rich fatty flavors of the meaty Christmas feast. Try this simple, clean recipe this year! To make things easier, I throw the cauliflower and garlic on a cookie sheet and roast them together until fork tender. Then I throw everything in a blender or food processor and blend until the texture is perfect!
Sweet Potatoes Casserole: You’ll love this recipe for three reasons: One, it’s not a calorie and sugar bomb, like most sweet potato casserole recipes; Two, it’s creamy, crunchy, and delicious; Three, you can make it the day before. On Christmas Day, all you have to do is pop it in your oven! I use nonfat Greek yogurt instead of almond milk to boost the protein content!
Green Bean Casserole: This healthy green bean casserole is gluten free, low carb, and made without processed ingredients. Each serving contains a little over 100 calories and 7 grams of protein! Plus, it only takes 30 minutes to whip up.
Cranberry Sauce: This cranberry sauce is sweet, tart, with a hint of spice, minus all the calories and sugar. If you prefer to avoid alternative sweeteners, this clean recipe is naturally sweetened with a half cup of honey.
Stuffing: This stuffing contains twice the protein found in traditional recipes. Add a pound of sautéed Turkey sausage for an even bigger flavor and protein boost.
Brussels Sprouts: Tender centers, crunchy leaves—it’s everything you want in roasted Brussels sprouts. But this time it only requires 2 ingredients and two minutes of prep time!
Roasted Vegetables: These roasted root veggies are rich with flavor, thanks to the bacon fat and chopped thyme. All you have to do is chop, season, and roast. Spend less time in the kitchen by chopping your veggies a day or two in advance.
Dinner Rolls: The hack to fluffy, quick, and macro-friendly buns is cottage cheese! These dinner rolls only take 15 minutes to prep and are packed with protein to keep your blood sugar balanced (one bun contains 6 grams!).
Dig Into These Guilt-Free Desserts
Pumpkin Pie: A few simple substitutions cuts this pumpkin pie’s calories in half! Plus, one slice provides over 6 grams of protein. Here’s the real win: this healthier pumpkin pie isn’t crustless. Make this pie one or two days in advance to deepen the flavors and save oven space on Christmas Day.
Pecan Pie: Baked goods, buns, and buckets of popcorn make it hard to keep carbs under control on Christmas Day. These low-carb pecan pie bars help. After sinking your teeth into its thick and buttery shortbread base and gooey, crunchy pecan caramel topping, you’ll never know each square only contains 2 net carbs. These bars come together easier than pumpkin pie and can be make up to three days in advance and still taste fresh!
Apple Pie: A rich, flaky crust, a soft, sweet filling, and lots of cozy spices. This apple pie gets the big things right, plus it only contains 129 calories per slice. You’re welcome! To save time in the kitchen, make your pie the day before and serve the pie cold or let it reach room temperature, depending on your preference.
Sugar Cookies: What’s Christmas without frosted sugar cookies? The only problem: sugar cookies are calorie bombs. Just one frosted cookie contains about 150 calores, and you know we don’t eat just one. This recipe cuts the calories in half. Plus, each cookie packs in 5 grams of protein! From tieing on your apron to sprinkling the last cookie, this recipe takes under 20 minutes.
Gingerbread Cookies: You and your kids will love decorating these cute and crispy gingerbread cookies! With under 100 calories and over 5 grams of protein per cookie, you’ll love eating them too! I sub in my favorite whey protein powder and use real, grass fed butter instead of the recommended Country Crock Spread for a healthier cookie.
Have a Healthy Holiday Drink
Eggnog: Start Christmas morning with this delicious and festive eggnog protein smoothie! This homemade eggnog recipe is full of holiday flavor and void of any guilt.
Hot Cocoa: I love the nostalgic feeling of a mug of hot chocolate on a cold Christmas night! Thankfully, hot cocoa can be a part of your Christmas, even if you’re trying to count macros and manage your weight. Whip together this healthy hot chocolate and stir in a scoop of collagen to add a creamy texture and boost your protein.
Mulled Wine: Each hot and spiced mug of this mulled wine contains only 122 calories and 2.6 grams of sugar! While it increases the calories and sugar slightly, you can also skip the sweetener and add a splash of orange juice instead.
Christmas Punch: This Christmas Punch recipe makes me gitty! Festive and full of Christmas flavor, it’s delicious to sip before dinner. This mocktail has a secret, though. It’s ultra-hyrdrating and full of electrolytes! Whip it up in a few minutes and feel your best this Christmas!
Want More Health Hacks?
Christmas doesn’t have to crush your health goals. Like any other day, you can enjoy the moment fully and live a healthy lifestyle! With a helping hand and some solid strategies, I know you can reach your goals. Let’s walk your health journey together! Join over 141,000 people who have lost weight in LEAN.
