Healthy Paleoista Holiday Tip of the Day: Celebrating Christmas Eve with a Paleo Twist

What does your family tradition for celebrating Christmas Eve entail? Carols around the fire, sipping spiced cider?   A grand celebration with cousins, aunts and uncles? Or a quiet, more intimate gathering of just those closest to your heart? However you opt to spend the night before Christmas, it’s easy to create a Paleo friendly holiday meal tonight, with all the foods and flavors you love with perhaps just a slightly different twist.

• In my family, we’ve grown accustomed to ordering take-away from our favorite Indian restaurant. From tandoori chicken to lamb tikka and Bhindi Masala to Baingan Bharta, not only do we enjoy the wealth of flavors, but given that the days leading up to Christmas tend to be rather busy in the kitchen, it’s a nice time for a little break from all the cookery!
• One client who comes from a traditional Italian family, who found 0ut at age 37 that she had celiac disease had a tough time the first year during the holidays, trying to explain to her mom why she wouldn’t be partaking of many of the offerings on the table.  She got through it, and now finds the perfect balance by bringing her own homemade marinara and spaghetti squash to enjoy along with the array of seafood prepared by her family.

No matter what the tradition may be, there’s always a way to balance out keeping up with your own personal nostalgia and enjoying every bit of the festivities without feeling like you’re missing out simply by not eating a certain few ingredients. Happy Christmas Eve!