Written in Partnership with Maria Williams
The holiday season is coming up, so gatherings will be at an all-time high. A time for food and great company, many people are looking for healthier drinks and snacks to nibble on than ever before. Here are four healthy drink and snack alternatives you can use this holiday season while keeping the same great taste!
1. Craftmix
Every holiday party has to have craft cocktails on hand. As traditional mixers have slowly become outdated with poor ingredients and loads of sugar, powdered beverage mixers have become more popular. Over the last several years, we’ve seen companies enter the cocktail market with modern powder mixes for healthier and better-tasting cocktails. Whether you’re making a Mango Margarita, Strawberry Mule, Mint Mojito, or Blood Orange Mai-Tai,Craftmix makes it easy to concoct better-for-you craft cocktails at home, with lower calories. The packets are gluten-free and vegan thanks to all-natural ingredients, plus they only add 25 calories and 5 grams of sugar to your favorite mixed drink.
Getting all the ingredients for specific cocktails can be challenging, especially in bulk. With the low-cal cocktail mixers from Craftmix, you can feel like a professional bartender for your friends in a few easy steps. All you have to do is buy the alcohol, add sparkling or still water, stir in the powdered drink mix, and wallah! With just a few packets of cocktail mixes from Craftmix, you have amazing drinks for your entire holiday party. Oh, and did we mention the affordable prices?
2. Poppi
While many brands have been entering the sparkling water industry over the last couple of years, few companies have been able to make a great pop alternative. That’s where Poppi comes in. As a healthy replacement for traditional pop, Poppi creates apple cider vinegar-infused drinks full of flavor and health benefits.
With less than 25 calories per can and no more than 5 grams of sugar, Poppi gives you an idea of what a modern-day pop brand can be. They have 9 different flavors, so you’re sure to find something you’ll love. Consider adding Poppi to your fridge this holiday season as a replacement for traditional pop. Many of these drinks also go really well with any cocktail.
3. From the Ground UP
Who doesn’t love a good charcuterie board? We know we love them! However, while these are great holiday party snacks, they’re normally loaded with calories. With cheese and crackers often not being the healthiest snack options, there are ways to make these delicious appetizers more healthy. This would include using traditional cracker alternatives like From the Ground UP’s low-calorie Cauliflower-based crackers.
These alternatives have only 110 calories per 44 crackers, making it really easy to enjoy such a dense snack while taking away any guilt that might come with indulging too much. Cauliflower-based food has become more popular in the last several years, especially as vegan and vegetarian recipes continue to rise in demand. There are many pros to this including the fact that these foods are often low in calories and have good health benefits.
4. Hope Original Recipe Hummus
While everyone loves a good dip to go along with their favorite salty snacks or vegetable plates, lots of them can be heavy in fat, and calories, and not provide much nutritional value. Hummus is a great replacement for the standard chip and veggie dips. Not only are many lower in calories, but they often have fewer fats, sodium, and sugar while providing more protein, iron, and fiber.
With these four healthy alternatives to traditional holiday snacks, you will be sure to surprise partygoers by providing great, flavourful food, and being able to indulge in more of it without feeling guilty.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.