Healthy For the Holidays

Winter is quickly approaching and the holidays are upon us! For many of us, this means lots and lots of delicious foods, sweets, treats, carb-heavy deliciousness, boozy parties, and jeans with stretch to make room for it all.

To top it off, we’re all doing our best to stay healthy amidst the chaos of buying presents, decorating the house, hosting and attending parties, and spending time with family and friends.

One of the best ways to stay on top of our health this time of year is to avoid falling into the trap of fast and convenient foods. Cooking at home is almost always the healthier option - home-cooking gives us control over the quality and quantity of ingredients we use, which allows us to choose healthier options. When we cook at home we are likely to consume less salt, less fat, and less sugar than if eating at a restaurant or fast-food joint. And let’s not forget about portion sizes either…

Happy Gut happy life

Making a big batch of nutrient-dense soup is a great way to make sure you have something healthy ready to go in the fridge when the hunger strikes. This vegan carrot ginger soup is so delicious, cozy, and full of vitamins, fiber, and health-boosting factors like antioxidants, prebiotics, and probiotics. Plus, it’s allergen friendly, i.e. vegan, gluten-free, low fodmap, and soy-free.

This recipe also includes a whole pound of baby carrots! Carrots are known for there high levels of beta-carotene (converts to vitamin A). They are also a great source of biotin, vitamin K1, potassium, vitamin B6 and a variety of antioxidants including carotenoids, lutein, and lycopene.

Fun fact: carrots are one of a handful of vegetables that are actually more nutritious when cooked! So you don’t have to worry about losing nutrients during the cooking and heating process.

Finally, this soup is gut-friendly!

• Fennel and ginger help with digestion and work against bloating and tummy troubles

• Carrots and sweet potatoes are natural sources of prebiotic fiber - the food that feeds and grows healthy gut bacteria

• Non-dairy kefir is a great source of probiotics - helps populate gut with healthy bacteria

I hope you all love this delicious and healthy carrot ginger soup! Be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @wellismore if you try it out.

Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup - Gluten Free, Soy Free, Low Fodmap

Ingredients

*Note: I recommend using organic ingredients whenever possible

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

• 1 fennel bulb, chopped

• 1-2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (about a 2inch piece)

• 1 clove garlic, minced (omit if fodmap sensitive)

• 1 32oz box low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 lb baby carrots, chopped

• 1/3 cup plain non-dairy kefir, yogurt, or sour cream plus more for serving (I used Forager brand’s Cashew-gurt kefir)

• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice or juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp Kosher sea salt, plus more to taste

• Ground black pepper, to taste

• Fresh chives or dried chives, for topping

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add fennel, sweet potato, ginger, and garlic. Sauté on medium-high heat until fennel is softened (about 5 minutes)

2. Add carrots and broth. Mix everything together, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork

3. Remove from heat. Add non-dairy kefir (or yogurt, sour cream, etc.) and lemon. Blend in batches with a blender or directly in the pot using an immersion blender

4. Divide into individual bowls and top with a swirl of kefir, salt, pepper, and herbs

5. Enjoy!