Paleo for the Holidays

The Paleo diet focuses on foods similar to those eaten during the Paleolithic era, 
including fish, lean meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Foods that become 
common as farming emerged are limited, particularly grains and dairy. 

This healthy diet is popular for losing weight, controlling blood pressure, and lowering 
triglycerides but it can be a challenge to stick to it during the holidays with their 
traditional (and frequently grain- and dairy-based) meals. 

There are also some unique benefits to the diet, from naturally avoiding common 
allergens like peanuts, dairy, alcohol, and grains, to helping stick to a “clean” style of 
diet for optimal health.


Sticking to it During the Holiday Season

One of the challenges of this and many other diets comes when you are attending a lot 
of social functions and parties. You want to spend quality time with your family, but 
these events often surround eating food – and not usually the food you can eat while 
following Paleo.

While it can be a little challenging at first, it is definitely possible to be Paleo during the 
holiday season! Here's how to enjoy the holidays in style without sacrificing your dietary 
commitments. 

 
1. Holiday Foods You Can Eat
 
Some traditional holiday dishes are very Paleo-friendly while others are rich in dairy, fat, 
and grains. If you're attending a holiday meal at someone else's home or you're 
planning your own dinner, here are some suggestions for foods that will work well with 
your diet.  


Vegetables

Focus on vegetable side dishes without dairy-based sauces or butter. Popular veggies 
during the holidays include cauliflower, cabbage, avocado, broccoli, sweet potato, and 
squash. This is the great thing about holiday meals – most people serve plenty of 
veggies as healthy sides, so you can fill up your plate with them, and still enjoy a meal 
with your family and friends. 


Grass-Fed Meat

Organically sourced meat is perfectly suitable for a Paleo diet. Make sure you choose 
grain-fed poultry and meat for your meal. If this isn’t available and you can’t bring a 
meat dish of your own, just choose a little less meat, and a little more of the veggies. 


Sweet Potato Casserole

This iconic Thanksgiving and Christmas dish is often rich in butter and sugar but it's just 
as delicious without the refined additives. Sweet potatoes on their own are Paleo-
friendly. Make your staple casserole Paleo-friendly with raw honey, almond or cashew 
milk, and maple syrup.

Note – If you are not preparing the meal, either ask the host if they can adjust the 
recipe, or simply choose whether or not it is worth it to you to eat the traditional sweet 
potatoes, or if you want to skip it this time.


Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin is a Paleo-friendly food that's high in vitamins but traditional pumpkin pie 
destroys the health benefits with refined sugar and dairy. If you are bringing the 
pumpkin pie to a party, consider making your own pumpkin pie with dairy alternatives 
like almond milk and natural sweeteners.
 


2. Try These Paleo Substitutions
 
With a little creativity, you can still make your favorite holiday dishes without breaking 
your Paleo diet. After all, the Paleo diet isn't very restrictive once you learn a reliable 
system to replicate your favorite foods. 

Here's a quick overview of ingredient substitutions you can use during your holiday meal 
planning plus ideas for making holiday classics.  


Switch Up the Flour and Bread Crumbs

When you are cooking and baking holiday treats, most recipes are going to ask for flour 
or bread crumbs. Since these are not allowed on the Paleo diet, you will need to look for 
a good alternative.

Instead of using traditional all-purpose flour, try using either coconut or almond flour. It 
will be a slightly different texture, but works great in many recipes.

A good alternative for bread crumbs is to use ground flax meal.


Use Dairy Alternatives

If you have been on Paleo for a while, you are probably already accustomed to skipping 
the cow’s milk and other dairy products, and using dairy alternatives instead. For your 
holiday recipes, continue with this tradition, using nut milk like almond milk or cashew 
milk instead. Some other options include coconut milk or using coconut cream instead 
of heavy cream.


Sweeten it Up Without Honey

For your sweets during the holiday season, you won’t be able to use white table sugar 
or brown sugar, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make them sweet! Instead of sugar, try 
sweetener alternatives like raw honey or real maple syrup. You can also try coconut 
sugar when you are in a pinch.


Try This Healthy Bread Alternative

Lastly, if you really want a bread side for your holiday dinner, try making a grain-free 
bread using pumpkin or banana. 


3. Tips for Surviving Holiday Parties
When you aren’t hosting your own holiday party, it can get a little tricky and feel 
intimidating. However, don’t let this discourage you from spending time with family and 
loved one during the season.
Here are some easy ways to survive the holiday parties while staying on Paleo, and 
actually enjoy yourself. 

Communicate with the Host Beforehand
When attending dinner at someone else's home for the holidays, it's okay to give them a 
head's up about your dietary restrictions. Many people are now used to accommodating 
diets like gluten-free and vegan and will at least be willing to make minor changes to the 
menu or offer alternatives that will be appropriate for your diet. 
Of course, others may not be willing to make changes to their time-honored recipes, in 
which case you can consider bringing a few dishes to share.  

Fill Up on Veggies
Eating your veggies first will serve a few purposes at holiday parties. To start with, it fills 
you up so that you are not starving when dinner starts, and really struggling with saying 
no to stuffing and rolls. This also makes you feel like you are joining in with the rest of 
your family by eating along with them, even though you are still eating the Paleo-
approved foods. 

Allow Small Cheats
This is a personal decision, but if you really don’t want to say no a loved one who 
worked hard on treats that are not Paleo-friendly, there are ways around it. To start with, 
you can add a small amount to your plate and just not eat it, or have a bite or two. 
Another option is to simply eat all other foods first, then if you still have a craving, eat a 
little nibble of mashed potatoes or pie.




4. Four Paleo Holiday Foods to Try
Believe it or not, there are plenty of holiday foods that can be turned into Paleo-friendly 
foods with just a few tweaks. While these are not full recipes, they give you a good idea 
of substitutions you can try out in your own recipes. 

1. Latkes
 
Potato pancakes are delicious but the all-purpose flour and white potatoes should both 
be avoided on the Paleo diet. Use your favorite latke recipe with the following changes:  

*	Use coconut oil
*	Use tapioca starch and coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour
*	Use white or orange sweet potato 

2. Paleo-Friendly Stuffing
 
Holiday stuffing can seem impossible to make Paleo friendly but it is possible! Here are 
a few ideas to make a tasty and beautiful grain-free stuffing.  
 

*	Combine fried bacon with chopped celery, apples, sweet potato, and almonds. 
Cook organic pork sausage and mushrooms and whisk everything together with 
chicken broth and sage. 

*	For a more traditional stuffing that tastes "real," use almond flour. Heat ghee or 
avocado oil and cook onion, apple, celery, mushrooms, and cranberries until soft. 
Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning and transfer to a baking dish. 
Stir in almond flour and whisked eggs then bake until browned. 

*	Almond flour is great for creating the perfect stuffing texture. You can make a 
meat-free stuffing with apple, celery, onion, and herbs sauteed in ghee. Add 
dates or cranberries and almond flour plus beaten eggs and bake until browned. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mashed Potatoes
 
This classic side dish goes with just about everything. You can skip the starch-heavy 
potatoes and dairy by using a popular alternative: cauliflower. Family members may not 
even know they aren't eating mashed potatoes! 

Start by roasting a head of garlic for aroma and flavor. Chop one head of cauliflower 
into florets and boil until soft. Let the cauliflower cool and dry then combine it with 
almond milk, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, roasted garlic cloves, salt, and pepper in a food 
processor. Puree until smooth and serve with rosemary sprigs.  
 

Challah Bread
 
Challah bread is a popular staple during Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah that can be 
made Paleo-friendly in a snap. This recipe is dairy, grain, nut, coconut, and yeast free 
and sure to be a hit with the whole family.  
 
Ingredients:  

*	4 eggs
*	1/4 cup olive oil
*	1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
*	3 tablespoons honey
*	1-1/2 cups cassava flour
*	1 teaspoon baking soda
*	1/2 teaspoon salt
*	1 egg white, beaten
 
 
Whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix 
cassava flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients to create a 
stiff dough. Knead the dough on a surface with cassava flour and divide into three 
sections rolled into ropes. Braid the ropes and transfer to a baking sheet. Brush with 
egg white and bake for 25 minutes at 350°.  

