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You are here: Home » Food Preparation » Recipes » Main Dishes » Healing Foods (for after the holidays)

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Healing Foods (for after the holidays)

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Healing Foods (for after the holidays) | Holiday celebrations can be hard on our bodies. Eating foods prepared in other kitchens often means we're consuming ingredients that are not necessarily nourishing. My family chooses to stay flexible during these times, making the best choices we can under the circumstances. But after the holidays, we start craving simple and healing foods. Are you in the same boat? Try my three simple recovery tricks and two favorite back-on-track simple recipes. | TraditionalCookingSchool.com

Holiday celebrations — or even stressful times or strings of meals eaten away from at home — can be hard on our bodies. Eating foods prepared in other kitchens often means we’re consuming ingredients that are not necessarily nourishing and can even be harmful to our health.

My family chooses to stay flexible during these times, making the best choices we can under the circumstances.

Translation –> Yes, we eat foods that aren’t so great for us in order to honor our relationships with loved ones.

However, after the holidays, I notice that my energy is low and my stomach is quite upset from all the indulging. We start craving simple and healing foods. These foods get us back on track and feeling better quickly!

Have you found yourself in the same boat year after year? Give these three recovery tips a try (and see below them for two quick, simple, and nourishing back-on-track main dish recipes).

1. Drink (A Lot Of) Extra Water

In the midst of fellowship and conversing with family and friends, or just during a busy season, we often forget to drink enough water. So, increase your water intake significantly for a few days. This will help you rehydrate as well as flush out toxins.

2. Get Those Probiotics In!

Gut healing beneficial bacteria helps restore digestive upset quickly. Wardee’s Kefir Parfaits are a terrific and tasty choice! Often I notice a difference in how I feel after just one meal that centers around beneficial bacteria.

You could add a scoop of sauerkraut or another fermented veggie atop a salad. Or sip fermented coconut water or Kombucha throughout the day. (See our fermenting category for lots more choices, but keep in mind the baked items lose probiotics.)

3. Enjoy Simple Recipes With Wholesome Ingredients

When you’re just plain tired of heavy, rich, sweet, salty foods… turn to nourishing salads and light soups. They’ll heal and nourish without leaving you bloated or heavy-feeling. Below I’ll include two of our favorite go-to after holiday main dishes.

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Quinoa-Chickpea Salad with Roasted Apricots and Veggies

When you're just plain tired of heavy, rich, sweet, salty foods… turn to this nourishing salad.
Course Salad
Author Jenny Cutler

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa rinsed and soaked *
  • 1-1/2 cups pure water
  • 1 cup dried apricots sliced
  • 1/2 pound asparagus cut into bite sized pieces (or other vegetables from your pantry)
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • pepper
  • 1 cup chickpeas soaked and rinsed**
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1 handful walnuts chopped
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon mustard

Instructions

  1. Simmer the soaked quinoa in the water until the water is absorbed, about 10 to 20 minutes.
  2. Toss the apricots and asparagus in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Roast the apricots and asparagus in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven until caramelized, about 10 to 20 minutes.
  4. Mix the juices left in the roasting pan with the garlic, honey, and mustard in a small bowl.
  5. Pour the dressing on the salad and toss to coat.
  6. Serve.

Recipe Notes

*Learn how to soak grains.

 

**Learn how to soak beans.

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Quick Healing Chicken Soup with Homemade Croutons

When you're just plain tired of heavy, rich, sweet, salty foods… turn to this light soup.
Course Soup
Author Jenny Cutler

Ingredients

  • whole pastured chicken previously cooked, meat only*
  • 4 cups chicken stock **
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 2 ribs celery with leaves, sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 slices sourdough bread ***
  • grass-fed butter

Instructions

  1. In a soup pot, sauté all veggies in the olive oil until tender.
  2. Add chicken stock, cooked chicken, and spices.
  3. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  5. Meanwhile, slice bread into cubes and pan fry in butter until crunchy, about 6 minutes.
  6. Flip part way through the sauté. These are the croutons.
  7. Serve soup with croutons on top.

Recipe Notes

*Learn how to cook a chicken in the crockpot.

 

**Learn how to make chicken stock.

 

***Make your own sourdough bread! Recipe here or here.

What quick and nourishing recipes help you get back on track after the holidays? Feel free to share links!

This post was featured in 82 Ways To Heal Your Gut.

We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).

Posted in: Celebrations Food Preparation Health & Nutrition Healthy Living Main Dishes Main Dishes (Gluten-Free) Recipes Soups & Stews

About Jenny Cutler

Jenny is a former public school teacher and holds a Master's Degree in Multicultural Education. She's a stay-at-home mom with two small children in Northern Virginia. Jenny, her husband, and her children began a traditional foods diet in 2009 when she found Traditional Cooking School, and they are now preparing to start a sustainable, small scale farm.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenny Cazzola says

    January 23, 2014 at 10:07 am

    That looks like an amazing soup recipe! I never thought of using croutons with a chicken soup. It is freezing cold here today and something like this would really be good. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jenny Cutler says

      March 1, 2014 at 7:47 am

      Thanks, Jenny!!

      Reply
  2. Tanya says

    January 23, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    these do look really good. I always crave home cooked food after a holiday or vacation. These would be perfect at those times.

    Reply
    • Jenny Cutler says

      March 1, 2014 at 7:47 am

      Thanks, Tanya!

      Reply
  3. Kate Law says

    January 25, 2014 at 11:53 am

    So the chickpeas in the salad, only soaked and rinsed, not cooked? That just doesn’t seem right to me. Mistake maybe?

    Reply
    • Jenny Cutler says

      March 1, 2014 at 7:52 am

      Good catch, Kate! I will have this adjusted 🙂 Yes, the chickpeas should be cooked.

      Reply
  4. Lori says

    November 29, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    i’m so glad you, reminded me of getting in my probiotics I haven’t really had any since Thanksgiving, I’ve just felt so wasted, I just need to make myself make myself something I’ve got them in the fridge, wish I had someone to fix me some right now, I’m sure that is something my body really needs right now but can’t seem to get up to make anything, but i’m going to have to soon or I will starve, i’m running out of good things I can just grab, it’s been whipped pumpkin pudding, and i ran out of that, then I broke down and actually ate store bought pumpkin pie, bad choice, and now it my kids leftover thanksgiving stuff, most i’m sure is not exactly good for me, but it puts food in my stomach, just have to figure out how to just make myself do it, I suffer from chronic fatigue and something I ate on thanksgiving has seemed to kick it into full gear.

    Reply

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