Tag: holiday weight loss

Autumn Broccoli Salad

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This Autumn Broccoli Salad features seasonal fruits and vegetables with an easy to make homemade Greek yogurt dressing – making it a perfect side dish for your next holiday gathering!

This recipe is for the nights you find yourself saying, “I have to bring a side dish to a party, but have no time!” Just chop up your seasonal vegetables listed below, and whisk together a few simple salad dressing ingredients, and there you have a nutritious side dish that all your friends and family will love!

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Creamy salad dressing typically use mayonnaise as the base. For extra protein, we decided to swap mayonnaise with Greek yogurt in this recipe. The tang of yogurt and sweet hints of honey pair together nicely on this salad.

Enjoy this salad as a simple side to dinner, or enjoy it as your meal prep for the week! For a light lunch, try adding chicken or salmon on top for your source of protein.

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Autumn Broccoli Salad

Serves: 6

Total Time: 10 minutes

Salad Ingredients:

  • 4 Cups kale, chopped
  • 3 Cups raw broccoli, chopped
  • ½ Cup red onion, diced
  • 1 Red apple, diced
  • ⅓ Cup slivered almonds

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup 0% Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoon organic honey
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:

  1. Massage kale in a large bowl and set aside. (Note on how to massage kale: put kale into a bowl and squeeze with your hands. Massage kale for 1-2 minutes until soft)
  2. Add all other salad ingredients to the large bowl with kale. Mix together using large wooden spoons.
  3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a separate medium-sized bowl. Pour on top of the salad, and mix again.
  4. Allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes before serving (This allows the kale to absorb the dressing making your salad more soft and enjoyable to eat. Or just put it in the car and head to your party!)

Notes:

  • Apples can be substituted with dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
  • This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian
  • To make the dish dairy-free/vegan, swap the Greek yogurt for ¼ Cup tahini and 2 Tablespoons of water

If you make our Autumn Broccoli Salad, let us know! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @britanyjonesrd for a chance to be featured on our stories. 

-Recipe and photography by Gabriella Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Group Intern

Maintain Don’t Gain This Holiday Season

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On average, Americans gain between 1-5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. While this may not seem like a lot, research has shown that those pounds are often never lost, and accumulate over time.

Between the office holiday party, increased amount of sweets laying around and cookie exchange parties – losing weight during the holidays is nearly impossible. Rather than trying to lose weight this holiday season – try to maintain your weight and your healthy habits!

You know that little voice in your head? The one that says “It’s ok! I will eat these cookies now, and I will just set a weight loss goal for my New Year’s Resolution.” Avoid that New Year’s mentality!

Stay focused now and stick with your healthy lifestyle habits to stay on track to your health goals. You have worked so hard to get to where you are – don’t stop now!

5 Maintain Don’t Gain Holiday Tips

  1. Plan Your Meals and Snacks. Staying on track with your health and wellness goals is all about planning, especially when you have a busy schedule. Meal planning is more important than ever during the holidays. Have a holiday party this week? Write it down and plan your healthy meals filled around it. This way you will be able to hop right back on the wagon if you splurge a little at the party.
  2. Implement Your Holiday Exercise Plan. Last month we talked about putting a healthy holiday exercise plan in place, now is the time to implement! Write down your exercise in your planner just like you would a doctor’s appointment. If you have to cancel, be sure to reschedule with yourself.
  3. Don’t save up. Research has shown that those who skip meals throughout the day when they have a big holiday meal or party coming up tend to overeat at that event. Continue to focus on your healthy breakfast, snack and lunch patterns and be sure to listen to your hunger and fullness ques.
  4. Set realistic goals. If you have a sweet tooth, swearing off sweets during the holidays may set you up for failure. Try and come up with a realistic and reasonable goal that you can stick to. Setting a goal to have a sweet treat just twice per week is more reasonable and can fit into a healthy lifestyle.
  5. Get 6-8 hours of sleep. A lack of sleep can weaken your immunity and increase your cravings for those high fat high sugar foods. Set a bedtime, and try to stick it. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a nap!

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