The holiday season is here and we could not be more excited! It’s that time of the year full of family and mouth-watering food. And sugar. Unfortunately, many traditional holiday dishes are packed with processed sugar. Never fear! You don’t have to give up on your no-processed-sugar goals to enjoy the season’s delicious treats.

It’s possible to stick to reducing processed sugar by swapping in a natural alternative while cooking at home. We’re here to help you stick to your goals and enjoy the holidays too!

Replace Away

The best way to maintain your classic dishes and to cut processed sugar is to simply replace! Pick a natural ingredient like 100% pure, raw and unfiltered honey and adjust your recipes accordingly.

At-Home Success

The best way to manage your processed sugar consumption during the holidays (and all year round) is to bake and cook at home. That way you’ll know exactly what goes in your food and you’ll have the freedom to adjust the recipes.

Hosting the holiday get-together allows you to do just this! We know that hosting can be overwhelming, but take it one dish at a time and strategize early. Enlist help from the family and prepare what you can well ahead of time.

Creative Holiday Recipes

We know that having family visit for the holidays is more than just the holiday meal. It means breakfasts and lunches and dinners too. So when you have a house full of guests, and even if your family is going solo, pay attention to every meal. Make sure you’re choosing real foods and cutting down on processed sugars when you can. Try some of our favorite recipes that don’t contain processed sugar.

When it comes to those beloved holiday staples, try swapping honey for sugar. Try roasting carrots with honey for that extra sweetness or having delicious, baked apple roses for dessert. Sweeten your sweet potatoes with honey and make cranberry sauce from scratch without adding processed sugar! And you can even try this honey almond eggnog recipe that doesn’t have processed sugar.

Your Conversion Cheat-Sheet

To keep those holiday favorites tasting great, follow these cooking conversions for baking with honey. Reduce heat in the oven by 25 degrees Fahrenheit, add a little more baking soda or leavening agent, and use foil to prevent over browning.

Honey Conversion Chart:

¼ cup of sugar = 3 Tbsp honey

½ cup of sugar = ⅓ cup of honey: Decrease potential liquids by 1 Tbsp and add ¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup of sugar = ¾ cup of honey: Decrease potential liquids by ⅛ cup and add ½ tsp baking soda

2 cups of sugar = 1⅜ cup of honey: Add ¼ cup of potential liquids and add 1 tsp baking soda

You can find out more tips and tricks for cooking with honey here.

Happy Holidays from Nate’s! Be sure to tag us in your holiday treats with #choosereal.