Bariatric Festive food ideas

The holiday period is generally a time when we are told to ‘eat, drink and be merry.’ So we have collected a number of recipes to help give you ideas on what you can make for you and your family or friends over the festive period.

Here are some suggestions for breakfast on Christmas morning, Christmas dinner, some desserts and a non-alcoholic cocktail.

We hope you enjoy the recipes but don’t forget to keep an eye on your portion size and make sure you are eating food at the correct consistency.

Breakfast

Mince Pie Porridge

Ingredients

  • 1 dessert spoon / 10g of oats
  • 100ml skimmed milk
  • Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (optional)
  • ½ dessert or cooking apple
  • 1 dessert spoon of raisins

Method

  1. Cook oats in the milk, add cinnamon and nutmeg and add fruit.
Eggs Benedict/ FlorentineBariatric Festive food ideas

Ingredients

  • 1 egg (poached)
  • 1 spring onion (sliced)
  • Spinach (wilted)
  • 1 slice of smoked salmon or wafer thin ham
  • ½ sliced wholegrain multi-seed toast
  • 1 dessert spoon extra- light mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
  • Dash of red wine vinegar (optional)

Method

  1. Toast bread and set aside.
  2. Poach an egg and wilt spinach and spring onion until tender.
  3. Mix together mayo and mustard with a dash of vinegar if necessary to create a thin sauce.

The main event……

Roast Turkey

Ingredients

  • 1 slice roast turkey (no skin)
  • Baby new potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • Sprouts
  • Carrots (quartered)
  • Parsnips (quartered)
  • Gravy
  • 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce
  • 1 small stuffing ball

Method

  1. Roast turkey as per instructions.
  2. Toss washed and unpeeled potatoes with the prepared sprouts, carrots and parsnips in oil and bake in the oven until soft and tender.

Vegetarian option

Lentil and cashew nut roast with tomato sauce

Ingredients

  • 200g red split lentils
  • 100g unsalted cashew nuts
  • 450ml vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 table spoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large leek finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
  • 100g mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove (crushed)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 30g mature low-fat cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)

Method

  1. Rinse the lentils under cold running water, add to saucepan with stock and bay leaf.
  2. Simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until lentils are soft and stock absorbed. Discard bay leaf.
  3. Toast cashews in a frying pan until lightly brown.
  4. Cool and roughly chop.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 190°C (fan 170°C) Gas mark 5, line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
  6. Add oil to a frying pan and cook onion for 5 minutes.
  7. Remove half and set half aside for sauce.
  8. Add vegetables, stirring occasionally until tender.
  9. Add lemon juice.
  10. Pour lentils and vegetables into a bowl, stir in breadcrumbs, nuts and 2 tablespoons or parsley, added cheese and egg.
  11. Season with salt and pepper and then spoon mixture into tin.
  12. Bake for 30 minutes covered and then a further 30 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and cool.
  13. To serve cut into thick slices.
Tomato sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
  • 400g of tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 150ml vegetable stock

Method

  1. Place the reserved onion and remaining sauce ingredients into a small pan.
  2. Boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until slightly reduced.
  3. Stir in the extra tablespoon of parsley from the nut roast mixture before serving.

Deserts

Poached pears in spiced red wineBariatric Festive food ideas - dessert

Ingredients

  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 400ml red wine
  • 200ml water
  • 3 tablespoons of Truvia sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick (halved)
  • 6 pears, peeled but kept whole with stalk
  • Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Method

  1. Halve vanilla pod lengthways and remove seeds.
  2. Put into a large saucepan with the wine, water, sugar, cinnamon and thyme.
  3. Add the pears.
  4. Poached the covered pears for 20-30 minutes, ensuring they are covered with the liquid.
  5. When tender remove from pan.
  6. Boil the remaining liquid to reduce by half.
  7. Serve the pear with the cooled syrup and low fat Greek yoghurt or homemade custard.
Fruit salad with low fat yoghurt

Fruit salad is a great dessert as you can make it with whatever fruits you and your guests enjoy!

Here is an example of one of the our favorite fruit salads:

Ingredients

  • 2 Apples sliced
  • 2 Bananas (cut just before serving)
  • 2 Kiwi sliced
  • 2 Pear quartered or cut into small chunks
  • A hand full of Strawberries halved or quartered

Lemon Syrup

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 100ml of water
  • ½ tablespoon of Sweetener (to taste)

Method

  1. Cut all fruit (leaving the banana until later) into slices or small chunks and place into a bowl.
  2. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a jug with the water.
  3. If using sweetener stir in until dissolved.
  4. Add jug mixture to fruit bowl.
  5. Cut up the banana before serving and add to fruit bowl.
  6. Serve with a low fat plain or vanilla yoghurt of choice.

Non- alcoholic Cocktail

Hot spiced Cranberry punchBariatric Festive food ideas - non-alcoholic cocktails

This is easy to make, simply mix the below ingredients together in a bowl.

Ingredients

  • 450ml no added sugar cranberry juice drink
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 400ml water
  • 400ml unsweetened pineapple juice

Remember to be careful of the sugar content in fresh fruit juice. You should only have one glass of the hot spiced cranberry punch.

We would love to hear what recipes you enjoy making. Head over to our Facebook page to share your favorite festive bariatric recipes.