If you’re on a special diet and have trouble finding festive foods that work for you, or just want to try something different, maybe healthier, here are some ideas that may help. Most of these recipes are suitable for Paleo, gluten free, GAPS or SCD (starch free) or grain free diets. Some are suitable for dairy free, vegetarian or vegan diets. Most are low sugar. If you’re doing Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) even some of these recipes might not work for you, but check out The Paleo Mom’s Holiday Recipe summary. Note that not all of these recipes have been tested by us.
We believe that “special” food should taste good, so family members not on special diets might not even notice they’re different. Make sure you test the recipe before Xmas Day, so you can tweak to suit your own tastes.
Starters
- Chilled soup – several red or green soups to choose from
- Marinated fish kebabs – these could also be a main course
- Xmas tree shaped cheese board
- Avocado devilled eggs
- A selection of dips:
- Guacamole (for the green)
- Beetroot dip (for the red)
- Hummus – a classic recipe here or for low carb, keto, grain free try this Cauliflower Hummus
- Chicken liver pate
- To go with the dips:
- Cheesy Christmas Star crackers (from almonds)
- Nut crackers without cheeses
- Biscotti made from your own favourite bread. For GAPS it will be a starch free bread – eg. pumpkin cashew bread, carrot almond bread or coconut almond bread
- Regular crackers of your choice
- Raw veges sticks or chunks, eg: carrot, capsicum, celery, cauli
Meaty Mains
- Stuffed leg of lamb – from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. This has a pecan stuffing and no starch, so is suitable for GAPS.
- Roast turkey. With millet and cranberry stuffing – gluten free, but not GAPS. With Sage Pesto – suitable for a Candida diet, and many others. Other stuffings or sauces (if you don’t want stuffing):
- Coconut bread stuffing
- Cranberry sauce – For GAPS, make with honey. For grain free, make with rapadura or coconut sugar.
- Or cook some turkey up in a mushroom sauce
- Glaze and bake your own ham
- Curried chicken salad – or make it the next day with leftover turkey
- Crumbed Christmas salmon
Plant Based Mains
If you’re catering for a lacto-ovo vegetarian, these dishes are delicious and everybody else will like them too:
- Nut roast
- Grilled Vegetable stack, with walnut crumble and sundried tomato pesto
- Spinach roulade, filled with chopped tomatoes and white cheese
- This recipe for Stuffed Pumpkin with Ginger Tomato Sauce by Nigella is vegetarian and gluten free
- Go the whole hog (so to speak) and try Nadia Lim’s Vegetarian or Vegan Christmas Roast with Cranberry, Sage and Cashew Nut Stuffing Balls and Tomato Onion Gravy
Sides
- Roast vegetables, served hot or cold – eg. potatoes, kumara, pumpkin
- Roast pumpkin or Twice baked pumpkin – are good if you are starch free, or can’t have nightshades
- Kumara salad with walnuts and / or bacon – Chelsea Winter’s version or Nadia Lim’s version with orange.
- This recipe for Roasted Citrus Thyme Carrots looks lovely, especially if you have access to heritage carrots
- Braised brussel sprouts – not in season in NZ, but if you love them, frozen ones should work
- Raw vege platter – chunks of cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber, grated carrot, fresh green pea pods. Serve with a bowl of homemade mayo.
- Sauerkraut salad
Other Christmas posts
- Happy Healthy Christmas
- Defusing Christmas Stress
- Finger foods for potlucks
- Christmas Breakfasts
- Easy As Christmas cake
- Christmas drinks, sweet treats and desserts
Recipe posts compiled by Deb.
For more recipes, go to the Recipe Index page
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