Host a Paleo friendly cookie exchange
Cookie exchanges are a ridiculously fun holiday tradition, but they unfortunately don’t favor the grain free, sugar free crowd. There are five recipes on this mini menu. If you can find just four friends who share your desire to eat grain free and dairy free, you can each cook one of these recipes, freeze them, and plan a date to swap. Simply enter the number of servings desired into your planning documents. Prepare your favorite Paleo finger foods (like Bacon Wrapped Spicy Chicken Poppers) and drinks (mocktails or kombucha) and make a guilt-free party out of it!
Give them as gifts to Paleo/GFDF friends
It is difficult for those with food restrictions to accept traditional food gifts around the holidays. Cookies, cakes, breads, and even the savory treats like popcorn and pretzels are all off limits. Maybe you are Paleo, maybe you aren’t, but either way, your grain free friends will heartily thank you for a plate of holiday treats that they can actually eat! There are five recipes on this menu, so you can make one treat for each of 5 friends. Or you can give a sample plate to each friend. Don’t forget to wrap it up pretty and use our labels so that they know what to do with them if they are frozen. Don’t forget, Paleo recipes are naturally gluten and dairy free, so they can be safely shared with friends who have an intolerance to either of these ingredients. Just make sure to check with them first and make sure that cross contamination from your kitchen won’t be a problem, especially in the case of a true allergy.
Help your host when you are invited to a non-Paleo gathering
A classic dieter’s conundrum: you get invited to a party, potluck, picnic, etc., but you know there will be lots of food you can’t eat. Do you go and just not eat (but suffer temptation and possibly ridicule) or do you attempt to politely decline (which is about as difficult as turning down chocolate cake sometimes, amen?) What if you could have the best of both worlds by bringing something you know you can eat? Enter Paleo Dessert Mini. Stock your freezer now, and when the holiday invites start flooding in, just reach in your freezer for one of these treats and bring it along. If it isn’t officially a potluck meal, you could say something like, “I (or my family) have some special dietary restrictions, but I don’t want to be a burden. Can I help by bringing a dessert I know we can all enjoy?”
Host your own Paleo/GFDF friendly holiday party
Maybe you are still at the beginning of your journey and going to a traditional holiday party is still more temptation than you can bear. That is OK! I have been there. You can decline invitations if needed. But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. Invite your friends from the gym, those who support you in your health goals, or maybe just those who are not picky eaters and have them over to your house to enjoy some of these fantastic treats. Celebrate your health this year! If you’re feeling brave, invite a few friends who think you’re just a “Debbie Downer” for giving up sweets, and prove to them that you CAN enjoy life and the holidays with out sugar.
Don’t forget the main dish!
If you are the host, you may need some main dishes or savory appetizers to accompany your holiday sweets. Check out the November Paleo Menu or try some of these:
- Turkey with Cauliflower Carrot Herb Mash
- Turkey and Sweet Potato Patties
- Honey Apple Pork Loin
- Chicken Apple Bacon Sliders
- Paleo Friendly Mocktails (the Grapefruit Mocktail and Hot Pink Mocktail are both Paleo friendly)
- Stay tuned for more holiday themed mini menus from OAMM!