Healthy Christmas Snacks

To eat sensibly during the holiday season is almost impossible with so many tasty and delicious food around you. Almost everyone puts on some excess holiday weight after feasting on mouth-watering food. But the trouble is getting rid of this excess weight, post holiday season. The best way to make sure that you do not gain too much of weight during Christmas is to eat in moderation and to swap healthy food instead of the calorie loaded treats. Of course it is next to impossible to cut calories in main course. So your next best option is to choose healthy Christmas snacks. Here we are going to give you some recipes of healthy snacks for Christmas that are easy to make and comparatively less in sugar, fat and calories.

Popcorn Brittle
Ingredients

• 5 ½ cup popcorn, popped
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Method

In a large zip lock bag, place the popcorn and then crush them using a rolling pin. Set this aside. Line a medium-sized baking tray with foil and coat it with cooking spray.

Next heat the sugar, light corn syrup and ¼ cup water in a saucepan and stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is sticky. Insert a candy thermometer in the syrup and lower heat when the thermometer shows a reading of 270° C. Add the molasses along with the butter and stir constantly. Insert candy thermometer again, and when it shows a reading of 290° C, lower the temperature. Next add the baking soda, vanilla extract and salt. Stir again. Now add the crushed popcorn into the syrup mixture and stir it until all the popcorn is coated in syrup mixture.

Pour this into the prepared baking tray and spread into an even layer that is about ¼ inches in thickness. Allow the brittle to cool completely, before breaking them into smaller pieces.

Ginger and Lemon Cookies
Ingredients

For ginger dough:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For lemon dough:

• 1 large egg white
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

To make the ginger dough, beat the brown sugar and unsalted butter in an electric mixer until the sugar is completely mixed in the butter. Add the egg yolk and molasses and beat the mixture at a medium speed.

In another bowl, add the flour along with the ground ginger, nutmeg powder, salt, allspice and cinnamon. Mix these dry ingredients well and then add it to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat the mixture in the mixer until it is well combined. Transfer dough to a bowl and wrap it in a cling film. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.

To make the lemon dough, beat the sugar and butter in the electric mixer. Next add the egg white, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Tip in the flour and salt and beat the mixture until you get a dough like consistency. Transfer the dough to a bowl and wrap it in a cling film. Refrigerate and chill for half an hour.

Unwrap the ginger dough and roll it out into ¼ inch thickness. Do the same with the lemon dough. Place a clear cling film on your work table and then place the lemon dough on it. Stack the ginger dough over the lemon dough and then roll the cling film to form a jelly roll. Refrigerate the roll for half an hour. After half an hour, unwrap the cling film and cut the ginger and lemon dough into ¼ inch thick Christmas cookies. Place all the cookies in a baking sheet and bake them at 350° C for 8-10 minutes. Cool these easy healthy snacks in a wire rack before serving. These delicious Christmas cookies for kids are sure to be a hit.

Granola, Raspberries and Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

• ¼ cup granola
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method

To make this healthy snack for kids, first layer a tall glass with granola, followed by two spoonful of yogurt. Next add a few raspberries, followed by another two spoons of yogurt. Add a bit of granola, a spoon of yogurt and top it with a few raspberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Substitute thick Greek yogurt for full fat cream and use honey instead of sugar. This will help you to cut down on the calories without compromising on the taste. These nutritious snacks for kids are easy to make too.