Healthy (no-bake) festive treats

December 2024 | 4 min read
Expert contributor Edwina Ekins, clinical nutritionist
Words by Lucy E Cousins

Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean your healthy eating habits have to be. These healthy festive treats are always crowd pleasers.

For some people, Christmas is all about friends and family, while for others it’s more about couch time, Christmas movies and festive feasts. Whether you celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense or you celebrate in your own special way, it’s easy to let your healthy habits go on holiday as well. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone, says clinical nutritionist Edwina Ekins.

“During the holiday season it's normal and healthy for people’s brains to click into ‘relax’ mode. When this happens sometimes health routines become a low priority,” she explains. “As a reward for a hard year of work, it's easy to let go of usual patterns of exercise, healthy food choices and health discipline.”

Sometimes, she adds, we make decisions that feel good in the moment – like that extra glass or two of Champagne you wouldn’t normally have or a dessert you wouldn’t normally choose. For those who drink alcohol, Edwina recommends setting limits for yourself before you go out. For example, only two drinks with water or mocktails in between.

Another strategy is to investigate the food at the event before you go; if it's only snack food or canapés on offer, eat a healthy meal before you go out. That way you're not reliant on what's on offer for a meal.

How to manage your sugar load

Christmas is often a time for desserts and feel-good food and indulging in these meals a little won’t break the ‘health bank’. It’s natural to want to enjoy the season with friends and family. However, if you’re worried about overindulging, Edwina says to aim for portion sizes that are on the smaller size.

“Opt for half a slice of dessert but then add a protein like plain or Greek yoghurt to slow the sugar release,” she says. For example, have a half slice of cake with Greek yoghurt or fruit and Greek yoghurt or cheese and plain crackers instead of ice cream.

“It's not about eating less necessarily,” she says. “It’s about celebrating and enjoying but also finding balance.” 

Tips for healthier desserts

Cooking at home

By making your own desserts you’re in charge of how much sugar is used. You’re also able to make ingredient swaps, bake smaller portions and avoid using the commercial preservatives generally found in store-bought desserts.

Making simple swaps

Try swapping plain flour for buckwheat, chia or almond flour as they’re full of extra nutrients and health benefits. Fruit can be added to desserts to add sweetness, while dates, rice syrup and maple syrup are good options for sugar substitutes but still contain sugar.

Freeze DIY ice cream

Make healthier ice cream at home by using fresh or frozen fruit, Greek yoghurt and maple syrup, then freezing until solid. You can also freeze leftover smoothies into icy pole containers for children to snack on.

Increase the protein

To help with digestion and sugar spikes, try adding protein to your desserts. You can use Greek yoghurt, nut butters and even cottage cheese.

Add more nutrients

If you’re cooking dense recipes like brownies or mud cakes, you can add avocado, sweet potato and zucchini without changing the flavour too much. When choosing which chocolate to use with cooking, opt for dark chocolate as it has less added sugar.

Rethink the meal

While desserts are always popular, you could also offer an alternative of fruit and cheese, or cheese and crackers instead.

The two recipes below by exercise scientist Dan Churchill are great alternatives for Christmas day snacks and desserts. They can be dairy free, gluten free and don’t require any baking.

Healthier Christmas florentines

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cool time: 5 minutes
Makes: 10

Ingredients

• 2 tbs flaked almonds
• 2 tbs sesame seeds
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 2 tbs goji berries roughly chopped
• 80g 70% dark chocolate or dairy-free alternative
• ¼ tsp salt

Method

1. Scatter almonds and seeds over an oven-proof tray and grill for 4 to 6 minutes, tossing
   after a few minutes until golden. Stir through goji berries.
2. At the same time, place a heatproof non-plastic bowl on a saucepan with a small amount of simmering water. Break chocolate into pieces, add ⅔ to the bowl and stir until melted. Remove from heat when melted, add remaining chocolate and continue stirring until all chocolate is melted and combined.
3. Divide chocolate between 12 holes of a silicone muffin tray or a metal tray lined with muffin papers.
4. Top each with nut, seed and fruit mixture, sprinkle over salt and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until set. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Gingerbread bliss balls 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Makes: 12

Ingredients

• 80g (¾ cup) rolled oats (or brown rice flakes or quinoa flakes if gluten free)
• 75g (⅔ cup) whole almonds
• 35g (⅓ cup) desiccated coconut plus extra for rolling
• 5 pitted Medjool dates (these are high in fibre and add a rich caramel flavour)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup (honey or rice malt syrup)
• 2 tbs water

 Method

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and combine until a sticky paste has formed.
2. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls and toss in extra coconut.
3. Refrigerate in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

A little helping hand

We’re here to support eligible members^* with their health goals over the festive season with the evidence-based CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. Created by Australia’s national science agency, the program combines a higher protein, low-GI eating plan with proven weight management tools to help improve habits and create lifelong positive behaviours.