The six healthy snacks you can eat on Christmas Day to avoid overindulging

Christmas time in Australia usually means overindulging on seafood, heavy meats and potato salads – but you can avoid the Boxing Day bloat by treating yourself to healthy versions of your favourite foods.

Instead of reaching for packets of chips, salted cashews, heavy cheeses and dips, head into a supermarket for dairy-free banana ice cream, dark chocolate-coated chickpeas and healthy pavlova yoghurt.

All of the offerings are less than $10, making them budget friendly, and contain real fruit and ingredients, so you’re not loading up on extra preservatives before the new year begins.

So where should you start?

Christmas time usually means overindulging on seafood, heavy meats and potato salads in Australia but you can avoid the Boxing Day bloat by treating yourself with some healthy snacks

INSTEAD OF CHOCOLATE…  

Keep It Cleaner Chocolate Protein Balls

Keep It Cleaner Chocolate Protein Balls

Reach for the Keep It Cleaner Chocolate Protein Balls ($6.50 but currently on sale for $5) when you’re looking for something sweet.

The main ingredients are dates and almonds, with rice protein, buckwheat, pea protein and organic coconut syrup keeping you fuller for longer.

They’re delicious and only have 28mg of salt per serve and 544 kilojoules overall. The average person can eat 8,700 kilojoules in a day.

Because there is an element of crunch to them it will feel as though you’re munching on Cadbury or Lindt without the extra sugar.  

INSTEAD OF AN ICE BLOCK…  

Proud & Punch Choc Banana Smoothie Pops

Proud & Punch Choc Banana Smoothie Pops

Peters Ice Cream have reinvented the traditional ice block and created the Proud & Punch Choc Banana Smoothie Pops ($8).

They are filled with Queensland bananas, cocoa and almond milk, without adding gluten, dairy, eggs, artificial colours or flavours to them.

If the chocolate option isn’t your favourite flavour there is strawberry acai, berry and mango with coconut or an apple option on the menu.

For less than $10 you’ll get six ‘pops’ so nobody misses out on an afternoon snack.

INSTEAD OF SALTED NUTS…

The Happy Snacks Company Dark Choc & Raspberry Roasted Chickpeas

The Happy Snacks Company Dark Choc & Raspberry Roasted Chickpeas

Most parties will have some kind of bowl of assorted nuts sitting at the table, which tends to be eaten towards the end of the night when you’re feeling peckish post-lunch.

Instead of opting for fatty salted nuts reach instead for The Happy Snacks Company Dark Choc & Raspberry Roasted Chickpeas ($5.30) which is made up of almost 50 per cent chickpeas.

The addition of chocolate will feed your sweet tooth without feeling the need to overindulge, while the legumes will give your protein quota for the day a boost.

INSTEAD OF EXTRA PAVLOVA…

Chobani pavlova-flavoured yoghurt

Chobani pavlova-flavoured yoghurt

It’s a traditional dessert served over the holiday period in Australia.

Topped with strawberries, passionfruit and layers of cream it’s very high in processed sugar and should only be eaten in moderation.

If you want to skip the pavlova altogether, Chobani has created a pavlova-flavoured yoghurt ($1.50 but usually $3) so you don’t miss out entirely.

It’s a limited edition variety with low-fat passionfruit yoghurt, cookie crumble, raspberry pieces and meringue chunks. 

INSTEAD OF A SHORTBREAD BISCUIT… 

Kez's Kitchen Melting Moment Biscuits

Kez’s Kitchen Melting Moment Biscuits

Kez’s Kitchen Melting Moment Biscuits ($7) taste just like the traditional custard and butter-filled biscuits but without gluten and dairy.

They are also FODMAP friendly for those trying to manage their irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a range of other dietary intolerances.

Filled with lemon cream they’re still naughty enough for the Christmas period but without the additional kilojoules.

INSTEAD OF SOFT DRINK…

Nature's Way Organic Raw Probiotic Sparkling Berry Water

Nature’s Way Organic Raw Probiotic Sparkling Berry Water

Soft drink and alcohol flow freely at the end of each year but it’s important to stay hydrated, which can be helped along by drinking Nature’s Way Organic Raw Probiotic Sparkling Berry Water ($4).

The bottle contains purified water, naturally fermented glucose, probiotic culture, organic green tea and organic stevia so you’ll be feeling sweet like sugar – without the sugar included.

The fizz can be added to punch if you’re looking to treat yourself further, or just enjoy chilled straight from the fridge. 

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