3 Tips For Eating Healthy This Festive Season

December is here and it is the festive season that most people will do things that will make it hard to fit into their favorite jeans in January.

The goat eating, beer binge and soda popping is always fun but going to the tailor to expand your clothes’ size is not fun but there is a way you can still enjoy the delicacies around Christmas as well.

1. Breakfast

This is the most important meal especially during the festive season. If you skip breakfast, you will be extremely hungry when that party has started and when you see food you will go wild and all of your defenses will be compromised.

I always make sure to have a well-balanced meal in the morning…something like a kienyeji eggs, kachumbari, brown chapati and fresh lemonade. Eggs are loaded with protein and good nutrients that keep me full for a very long time even when the meat comes off the grill. I can control what I eat and hence I eat moderately.

A chia seed fruit smoothie is also a great way to get plant-based protein which will also keep you full and energetic, especially if you are also busy cooking on the holiday for the family and/or friends.

2. Salad

Stacking up on salads is a great way to get healthy food into your system and a great thing is that salad goes very well with grilled/roasted meats. Something like kachumbari can be considered salad but something like coleslaw is even better and you can have them both with that nyama choma.

Coleslaw is also very simple to make and serve with each main meal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded cabbage (you can mix red cabbage with white cabbage for more nutrition and colour)
• 1/3 cup of grated carrot
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon of dania/cilantro

For the dressing

• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• A pinch of Himalayan/sea salt
• A pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

Whisk together the dressing and then pour it over the veggies. Serve with your nyama choma (I like it with some grilled pork). Traditionally, this salad is made with mayonnaise which you can add to the dressing but without the mayo the salad is still delicious and healthier/lighter.

For delicious pork choma, just season your small pork cuts with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, chili powder and extra virgin olive oil or pork fat which is even tastier. Grill about 5 minutes per side on medium-low flame.

3. Exercise 

Working out has never been so important than during the festive season. Not only does it keep you in shape, it also makes you feel great and fresh so it is a good way to handle that hangover. Walking, jogging, cycling, yoga, swimming, hiking, and dancing are things that you can easily work into your daily routine.

Read more on Chef Kahonge’s blog