A healthy Noche Buena? We've got you covered

This Christmas season, chances are you'll be eating like there's no tomorrow. This is especially likely if you believe rumors that the end of the world is near, despite experts saying otherwise. For those who intend to live long, healthy lives, eating well is a must. 

 

Why not start with your Noche Buena meal?  

While it may be hard to imagine the table without that glistening lechon or a huge leg of ham, it is entirely possible to have a healthy feast, from a meat-free main course to sugarfree desserts. For instance, try making kare-kare using tofu skin, or bopis with minced mushrooms. Prepare veggie pasta, or Christmas meatloaf made of red rice, nuts, and cheese. Instead of using oil, use water for stir-frying. 

 

Featured on “Saksi”, these recipes are just a few of the ways to avoid cholesterol intake and enjoy the holidays without risking your health.

 

"Una, hindi ka magkaka-high blood. Pangalawa, malakas ang katawan mo kasi hindi ka nanghihina," said Dr. Tam Mateo, a vegan and naturopathic doctor, in an interview on “Saksi.”

 

For healthy desserts, try sugarfree chocolate cake, or buko salad ice cream with soy milk. Traditional fruit salad can be given a twist with honey, yogurt and poppy seeds, the report also said.

 

"Dinagdagan po natin ng kaunting honey, may naghahalo pong asim at tamis," said Ruben Villanueva, chef at vegetarian restaurant Corner Tree Cafe. 

 

Another advantage of going healthy this Christmas is you can come up with an affordable menu that won't require hours of slaving away in the kitchen, either.

 

"Pag magpa-Pasko, sanay na tayo na minsan araw-araw, gabi-gabi, dalawa, tatlo yung Christmas party na pupuntahan natin. So pagdating ng Noche Buena, siguro maganda rin na kakaiba yung kinakain natin, mas healthy, mas fresh," said restaurateur Angel Pelayo-Ty on “Balitanghali.” 

 

The report featured tips and recipes for some budget-friendly Noche Buena dishes, including grilled vegetable with melted cheese sandwich, puttanesca pasta with tinapa, pan roasted chicken, pineapple fried rice, dessert of crispy banana balls. 

 

Another suggestion is to keep things simple. For most people, Noche Buena means lots of dishes, but some families are happy to serve fewer dishes. By not scrimping on the ingredients, even a simple spread can be very special. For chef and photographer Isi Laureano, traditional Noche Buena for her small family means sopas with puto. 

 

"We boil the chicken breasts, and we make use of the chicken stock for the soup. We then put shredded chicken meat, celery, carrots, leeks, onion, garlic, cabbage, chorizo and vienna sausage. My aunt will bake some puto to go with it," she says.

 

For her part, she makes her own version of pimiento spread, and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches using thinly sliced queso de bola from Denmark and Majestic ham. Ham shreds can be used to make ham and egg spread, as well. For dessert, the family members pitch in. "Bibingka is also present, and some chocolate brioche that was baked by either me or my cousins. My dad makes his famous leche flan as one of our desserts," she shares.

 

One tip from her family is to make leftovers last. Sometimes, an extra chicken breast is added to the chicken stock, as this can be used to make chicken spread. The chicken spread then becomes part of their breakfast of hot pandesal for Christmas Day.

 

"Simple lang kami, kinabukasan, 'yan ulit kakainin namin. Iinit ulit yung sopas, gawa ulit ng ham and cheese sandwich, or pimiento palaman sa pandesal," she says.

 

For meat lovers who can't imagine Christmas dinner without their favorite dishes, vegemeat is one versatile alternative.

 

Tita Soliongco shares that her family's Noche Buena spread includes embotido with gravy, meatloaf with tomato gravy, Spanish callos, pastel, Spanish lengua in rich tomato sauce, lengua in creamy mushroom sauce, and baked vege-ham with whole cranberry sauce. But as she and her family are vegetarian, none of these dishes contain meat.

 

"People should be open to the idea of trying the vegetarian alternative. They will discover that it tastes exactly like the meat version that they are used to," Soliongco told GMA News Online. Soliongco shares that she makes sure the vegetarian version tastes like the familiar favorites, since her family is very particular when it comes to what they eat.  

"Everything has a vegetarian alternative. We should just be open to tasting them," says Soliongco, whose restaurant, The Vegetarian Kitchen, also has a Christmas menu with items like Orange Cheesecake and Vegan Carrot Loaf with Butterfree Butter Icing.

 

Meanwhile, nutritionist and chef Malou Caudal said there are three things to avoid during the holiday season: sugar, fat, and salt.

 

"Lahat present `pag Pasko at, unluckily, 'yun ang hindi natin dapat kainin nang maramihan," she said on “Kape at Balita” on December 19. 

 

Caudal said popular dishes like ham can still be eaten, but in moderation. She also said it's better if the meal is taken in the morning or during lunchtime, as this is when calories are more efficiently burned. "Mabagal na kasi ang panunaw kapag gabi," she said. She also gave other tips during the interview, including portion control.

 

Interviewed on “Saksi”, food expert Chef Edward Bugia stressed that balance is key. "Kahit na makita niyo na yung mga abundancy, puwedeng puwede ka nga mag splurge, 'yung pinaka dapat concern natin is health. Health is wealth," Bugia said. -- KDM, GMA News All photos courtesy of The Vegetarian Kitchen