Ah Christmas is only a few weeks a way and I am SOOO excited!!

I can't wait to get all that delicious food in my tummy BUT before any of us can do that we need to get cooking!!

And I know this part can get a little overwhelming so I thought I'd share with you my top 5 tips to a healthy and easy Christmas. 

I stick by these tips every single Christmas and they never let me down!

So let's get into them...

1. Keep it simple

Don't get caught up in the idea that you have to spend hours in the kitchen to serve up an amazing Christmas feast. A simple Greek Salad, with Roast Potatoes and Beef Mince Kebabs can be JUST as delicious and filling, as an 8 hour slow cooked ham and 20 ingredient salad.

Choose recipes that are easy to follow, require minimal ingredients and don't require you to spend hours in the kitchen.

 2. It's all about the sides

Never underestimate the power of sides. Yes, your choice of mains (e.g. meats, lasagna, baked tofu) is important but the SIDES are what make an amazing feast. Instead of focusing on having a million different mains, choose your top 2 - 4 and then steer your attention to your sides. I love loading up my plate a variety with different salads (My favourites are my Greek Salad, Potato Salad from My Easy Christmas Recipes) and Haloumi Pasta Salad), roast and grilled veggies (like my Roast Potatoes, Greek Style Roast Capsicum and my Roasted Pumpkin My Easy Christmas Recipes)  and of course sauces! My top picks are my Chimichurri Sauce and my Creamy Tzatziki.

 3. Healthy eating is possible

It's easy to associate Christmas with loads of decadent food but in my experience healthy eating is very possible. Loading your plate up with good proteins (e.g. Pork Skewers, Baked Barramundi, Beef Mince Kebabs, Chickpea and Lentil Patties and a variety of salads and veggies is a delicious, satisfying and yet nourishing way to enjoy Christmas! When it come to dessert there are plenty of healthy options with including fruit salad, Mango Sorbet, Peach Parfaits and these nourishing Brownies.  

4. Get prepared early

A bit of preparation and organisation goes a long way when it comes to Christmas! Tonight or this weekend - the earlier the better - sit down, plan your menu and then get the food shopping down.

5. Make the day before

The best thing you can do is utilise Christmas Eve day to cook and get everything ready for the next day. Make sure your all the meats and/or tofu are chopped and marinated, and ready to go straight in the oven or on the BBQ on Christmas Day. Pre-chop all your veggies to roast and even get our salads ready - just leave the salad dressings off so they don't go soggy. Also get all your sauces and dips done the day before! My tip is to go through your recipes and highlight anything that can be done the day before, even if it's just part of a recipe - like chopping up the veg!

I hope you enjoy these amazing tips, which I know I'll definitely be using this Christmas!

Love, Leah x