If I am going to shop for groceries at a chain store, my first choice is always Loblaws. I am a big fan of many of their Blue Menu and PC Organics lines that offer healthy products at affordable prices.
So I was quite dismayed when I opened the latest President's Choice Insider's Report that came with our newspaper, advertising all their newest products for the holiday season.
I KNOW the holidays is about entertaining and indulging, but I seriously think they've gone overboard.
Deep fried, pastry-covered and breaded frozen hors d'oeuvres, fatty, sodium filled sausages and chicken wings, refined flour crackers, and buttered frozen vegetables are some of the worst savoury options while chocolate coated, peanut butter filled pretzels, molten chocolate chip cookies, red velvet cake ice cream AND red velvet cheesecake round out some of the worst of the sweet options available.
Now I'm not saying NEVER splurge on your favorite indulgences, but what I DO suggest is avoiding unnecessary ones. When you are planning your holiday season celebrations, try to have meals and buffets that are centred around healthy options, like grilled lean meats, raw crudites, fresh fruit, shrimp cocktail, whole grain crackers and breads, whole grain-based salads and side dishes, and stick to only your absolute FAVOURITE indulgences to round it out.
Also, making things from scratch, rather than buying prepared products, allows you to make small changes that can drastically improve the nutritional profile of even treat-foods (i.e. using whole grain flours, lowering the sugar and fat content, etc).
If you need healthy recipe ideas, hey, check out some of mine ;)
So I was quite dismayed when I opened the latest President's Choice Insider's Report that came with our newspaper, advertising all their newest products for the holiday season.
I KNOW the holidays is about entertaining and indulging, but I seriously think they've gone overboard.
Deep fried, pastry-covered and breaded frozen hors d'oeuvres, fatty, sodium filled sausages and chicken wings, refined flour crackers, and buttered frozen vegetables are some of the worst savoury options while chocolate coated, peanut butter filled pretzels, molten chocolate chip cookies, red velvet cake ice cream AND red velvet cheesecake round out some of the worst of the sweet options available.
Now I'm not saying NEVER splurge on your favorite indulgences, but what I DO suggest is avoiding unnecessary ones. When you are planning your holiday season celebrations, try to have meals and buffets that are centred around healthy options, like grilled lean meats, raw crudites, fresh fruit, shrimp cocktail, whole grain crackers and breads, whole grain-based salads and side dishes, and stick to only your absolute FAVOURITE indulgences to round it out.
Also, making things from scratch, rather than buying prepared products, allows you to make small changes that can drastically improve the nutritional profile of even treat-foods (i.e. using whole grain flours, lowering the sugar and fat content, etc).
If you need healthy recipe ideas, hey, check out some of mine ;)
amen, sistah! I agree wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteI love Loblaws too, especially because of their Blue Menu and Organics products, but totally agree with you about all the new frozen, processed, pre-packaged goods they've been coming out with lately. The regular PC brand frozen foods are the worst. I'd say they're as bad as M&M. And there's nothing worse than going to a holiday party to find goodies from a bag thrown on a plate. The best part about Christmas is all the treats that others MAKE and share with one another!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I can't even stomach the smell of fried and/or greasy food.
ReplyDelete