Really, that’s going to be the topic, staying healthy during the holidays? The few moments in a year where you have an excuse to indulge in less-than-healthy food choices? When can you enjoy holiday parties, spend time with friends and loved ones and not think about staying healthy?

Well, this might be a downer of a topic, but you do want to spend MORE holidays with family and friends, right? That means while you don’t have to be super strict about having a healthy lifestyle (enjoy the holidays, seriously), you can take steps to ensure that your holiday health is as good as possible.

After all, you don’t want to be spending time in the hospital or consulting your doctor in family medicine instead of celebrating, right?

So how do you stay as healthy as possible during the holiday season? In no particular order, here are five tips for staying healthy (as healthy as can be, at least) during Christmas and New Year!

How to stay healthy during the holiday season: Wash your hands.

Washing hands is something that is severely underrated in keeping good health. And it’s also something you should do for yourself especially during this holiday season, as the holiday season is also flu season, and we know that washing hands can help prevent you from getting infected. 

So if you don’t have your flu shot yet, better safe than sorry!

Oh, and a non-flu reason: your hands go everywhere. So you might not pick up the flu, but you might pick up something else. And if you’re the one who’s assigned to prepare food, you don’t want people getting sick just because you didn’t wash your hands, right?

Make sure to follow proper guidelines in washing hands so that you know what you’re doing is really effective.

How to stay healthy during the holiday season: Drink water and stay hydrated.

Since it’s cooler during this holiday season, you might forget to drink water. Plus, when you’re at a holiday party, there’s likely alcohol, fruit juices, soda and plenty of other more interesting things to drink than plain old water, right?

Well, as much as water is boring, we still need a lot of it to keep our holiday health. After all, not only does water make up 60% of our body’s total weight (which we need to maintain), we also need water for several important bodily functions such as delivering nutrients to the body.

Without enough water, you become dehydrated. And when you become dehydrated, you’ll feel hungry, sluggish, and tired, which can make you miss workouts, eat not-so-good foods, and snack.

So sure, try the delicious drinks that are available, but as Healthline recommends, make sure to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

And if you’re indulging in alcohol, alternate each sip with a glass of water. Trust us, you’ll love yourself when you wake up the next day.

How to stay healthy during the holiday season: Get plenty of sleep.

One reason we personally love the holidays is that there’s less activity, and that means more time for sleep! It’s such an underrated activity, but hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

And when you have enough sleep, you’ll just feel really good!

The problem is that with so many holiday activities that are coming up with family and friends, you might find yourself not getting that at all. That’s especially if you’re the one doing cooking for family dinners, or you’re taking care of last-minute Christmas orders.

But as much as you can, try to stick to a regular bedtime every night, despite all the happenings. When you don’t have sleep, you’ll experience fatigue and you’ll be grumpy and cranky, so you won’t enjoy the holidays.

Plus, when you lack sleep, you can experience the following:

• Short-term problems like lack of alertness, daytime sleepiness, bad memory, and relationship problems.
• Long-term serious health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, lower sex drive, and obesity.
• A less-than-ideal appearance, with you having more wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes.

Make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep to get its full benefits!

Stay healthy during holidays by not forgetting to do physical activity. 

Holidays can be an excuse to lounge around the bed or the sofa all day, but don’t do that! Don’t forget to keep moving and exercise. Not only can it help you shed some unwanted pounds that you will acquire over the holidays, exercise will also help blood flow and circulation, which is always good for your heart and for your health overall.

And don’t worry, you don’t even have to go to the gym or do hardcore jogging. A simple walk around the street will do – what’s important is you get exercise in, no matter how small or how short.

You can also use this as an excuse to have physical bonding activities with your family. If your child likes soccer or basketball, indulge them. You can also do other things like Tag, hide-and-seek, or plenty of other Filipino children’s games – at least, if you can handle the exertion!

One more tip to staying healthy: Remember that you don’t have to eat unhealthily.

Okay, so we made mention that the holidays are usually an excuse to NOT be healthy, right? But if you really want to know how to eat healthy during the holidays, well, here’s what you should know:

You are under no circumstances obligated to overeat during the holidays at all. Sure, your aunt or mom or grandfather will likely urge you on to eat, eat, eat until you’re stuffed, but you can always say no politely, or say you’re full. 

And if you really want to stick to healthy food choices during Christmas and New Year, there’s nothing wrong with that either! If you’re hosting, make sure to prepare fruits and vegetables for yourself. And hey, you never know if some of your guests are actually looking for them as well, right?

And if you do want to indulge a bit, remember that portion control is your best friend. Use small plates. Before going over to the less healthy offerings, fill up first with healthier food. That way, you’ll have less space for other food.

Most of all, if you don’t feel hungry, STOP EATING. It’s that simple, really.

Final thoughts: why holidays are good for your health, despite the indulgence

Those are just some tips on how to stay healthy during the holiday season. Take note that these are by no means medical advice from doctors (we’re not a health blog after all), so if you’re really sick or need a physician, please see one immediately.

Going back, we don’t want to cause you any undue holiday stress, so don’t feel any pressure to form any healthy habits or start eating healthy food or even experience weight loss during this time. At the end of the day, a holiday is to be enjoyed, not a reason for you to feel guilty. You can always go back to trying healthy living when the holidays are over, right?

And ultimately, do you know why holidays are good for you, despite you being more likely to eat and drink not-necessarily healthy food and gain weight? 

Well, according to the Better Health Channel, spending time with family and friends or simply just a loved one is good for your health and wellbeing, and can even strengthen your immune system. When you don’t have social connections, your physical, emotional, and mental health are all poorer.

Plus, holiday seasons usually mean vacations! That means you can relax and cut down on working (or even overworking), and just generally enjoy the long downtime. Sure, you might experience some weight gain or something, but as long as you generally don’t overeat every single night, that’s fine.
And besides, over the holidays, you’re likely to just gain a pound or two. But still, keep everything in moderation throughout the holiday season, yes?

Speaking of favorite holiday food and how to stay healthy during the festive season…

We know avoiding some of your favorite holiday food is hard, to say the least. After all, we’re Pinoys – we love food, like Christmas ham. And one thing we Pinoys never run out of is Christmas party food ideas.

And one of the things we really love to eat especially during this season (actually, even if there’s no occasion) is kakanin. But these native delicacies are packed full of sugar. Do we really have to avoid these as much as possible or risk seeing our primary care physician, especially if we already have a medical condition?

Well, not necessarily… That is if you’re eating products from our latest class with Ms. Chiqui Ortiz Dingcong: Keto Bibingka Atbp!

That’s right! A guilt-free holiday season is now possible thanks to our resident Keto advocate! You’ll be able to learn recipes for two kinds of bibingka, puto bumbong, and even a bonus recipe for tsokolate de batirol – all free of sugar! 

You’ll be able to indulge in these because they won’t fall under the food you shouldn’t eat while on the keto diet!

So what are you waiting for? Sign up at The Bailiwick Academy, learn these healthy recipes, and truly enjoy a favorite holiday of Filipinos! 

And we bet that once people find out you’re capable of making sugar-free goodies… Well, let’s just say they might be ordering a lot from you! Talk about a truly happy holiday, wouldn’t you agree?

— 

Keep coming back to The Bailiwick Academy blog for more kitchen tips, tricks, and much more!

The post How to Stay Healthy During the Holiday Season appeared first on Online Baking and Cooking Classes - The Bailiwick Academy.

Our list of much-desired buffet food items 

Just think of this list this way: given a choice, what food would be on our buffet table? Random spoiler: carrot cake and salad buffet items are not on this list. Sorry, vegetable lovers.

1. Ebi Tempura

This tops our list because Ebi tempura is one of the best things we have ever tasted. And Ebi tempura is one of the Japanese buffet items that is also one of the most popular buffet items ever! Once the chef finishes cooking the Ebi tempura, people descend on the serving tray. And it’s soon as empty as if the chef never cooked anything! But we really can’t blame people for liking it. The breading, the shrimp, the sauce… It’s just really delicious, with or without rice.

2. Bacon

If you’re going to ask us what’s one of the best breakfast buffet items we miss eating, we’d answer bacon! In fact, we’d actually say that along with Ebi tempura, bacon is one of the best buffet items ever. I think a lot of people would agree. Why do you ask? Well, bacon is one of the items that runs out right away. We can’t count how many times we’ve experienced looking for bacon and finding the tray empty. Unlimited bacon is a must for us on buffets.

3. Puto Bumbong

We’ve talked about puto bumbong before. We guess that tells you we really like it! It’s one of those most-have Christmas buffet items. Just writing about this treat eaten with lots of shaved coconut and brown sugar is getting us craving for it. We like it so much, we wish puto bumbong is one of the standard buffet items. Any restaurant here planning to bring out Xmas buffet items anytime soon? We might feel brave enough to go!

4. Cheese Buffet

This might not be a usual choice, but hey, who doesn’t love cheese? Eat it with ham, bread, dried fruit, or crackers. You can also eat it just by itself, then wash it down with wine. It’s a yummy experience. We miss having access to all sorts of cheese in buffets. Brie, blue cheese, gouda, goat cheese… Each one has a unique, distinct flavor, and it makes us happy being able to eat different varieties. It also helps that the different cheeses are luxury buffet items, making us feel… rich. LOL. Did we mention we miss the cheese in buffets? 

5. Roast Beef

One thing we definitely miss is heading over to the carving station and getting roast beef. We usually get three slices of thick, juicy beef, then slather them with a lot of gravy. After eating them, we take a break, then head back for more. Hey, it’s roast beef. It’s not something you can get every day. Can you blame us for taking advantage of it being unlimited? 

6. Halo-halo 

Here’s something else you won’t get every day: the super delicious halo-halo! Halo-halo is one of the classic buffet items in any Pinoy-themed ones. We can’t wait for the day where we can just mix all the ingredients, finish one glass, then come back for another. Or two. Sorry, halo-halo is just really delicious and such a treat. It’s one of the great buffet items on our list.

7. Sushi and Sashimi

We know, we know. This is the second Japanese food item on the list. We just prefer Japanese to Chinese buffet items. And of course, sushi and sashimi are always welcome in our tummies! We just really love the rice mixed with all sorts of delicious ingredients! And also the raw seafood! You can’t just get that anywhere. And you can be sure with buffets, you’re getting the quality kind of raw food.

8. Bread Buffet

What makes bread in buffets different from the ones we have at home? We also don’t know. What we do know is that they taste great, and we have our pick of bread! You have the standard loaf bread, but there’s also pandesal, baguette, croissant, and so much more! We also have the option of slathering the bread with butter or jam. Toasters are right next to the bread station, so we can even warm them up! Ahhh, we miss bread buffets.

9. Candy Buffet Items

We know, we should be watching our sugar. But with candy, we can’t help ourselves! It’s like we become kids again whenever there are sweets. And we also can’t just focus on any of the candy buffet table items. We have to get everything. If we remember correctly, usually there are gummy worms, hard candies, marshmallows, lollipops, and chocolate candies.  

10. Dessert Crepes

Here’s another personal favorite from different dessert buffet items. We miss eating this thin version of pancakes, stuffed with fresh fruits and cream, and slathered with chocolate or caramel. Sometimes, you can even have ice cream served with it! It’s also an experience watching the chef making the crepe. It will take time but you know this treat is worth the wait.

These are the top 10 buffet items that we just love and really miss eating. How about you? What buffet food items are your personal favorites?

On a personal note, while COVID-19 is still a threat, it’s still kind of scary to eat at a buffet restaurant. Hopefully, government vaccinations roll out faster, so we can be more confident to eat at restaurants. So, fingers crossed for all of us who just want to go out again. In the meantime, to make delicious and restaurant-quality food, enroll now at The Bailiwick Academy!

The post Buffet Items: 10 That We Love and Miss Eating! appeared first on Online Baking and Cooking Classes - The Bailiwick Academy.

Anyway, if you’re wondering why kakanin is famous in the Philippines, it’s because these delicacies remind us of simpler times. Also, it’s because kakanin are just comforting to eat after a long day at work, especially with piping hot coffee. They’re also a constant presence during celebrations and special occasions.

Even foreigners enjoy these delicacies. According to this article, kakanin has been spotted in the dessert section of buffets of leading food venues in the Philippines. That only confirms that whether as snacks or dessert after a big meal, all kinds of kakanin are a must-eat treat. But what exactly is kakanin?

Kakanin: What is the meaning?

Kakanin is an umbrella term for any glutinous rice or sticky rice cake. It’s sticky and sweet rice, not the normal steamed rice. Yes, kakanin in English is rice cake. You might get strange looks though if you ask to purchase rice cake from your local kakanin vendor.

If you’re wondering where did kakanin originate, there’s no real answer. What we do know is that each part of the Philippines has its own version of it. Apparently, our ancestors created these sticky cakes to serve as offerings to pre-colonial gods and/or as gifts to guests and visitors. This is the kakanin history, as told by this Pepper.ph article.  

According to various cooking and history books, the term comes from the word “kanin”, which is Filipino for rice. Since Filipinos love rice (hello to all the places that offer unlimited rice), and there’s a lot of rice in this country, the people that came before us were able to discover various ways to prepare sticky rice.

Different kakanin have different ingredients. They vary in the region of their origins. However, they are all generally made with glutinous rice and milk and involve being wrapped in leaves. Ingredients may include condensed milk, coconut meat, sesame seeds, and so on. Toppings may include brown or white sugar, salted egg, grated coconut, or cassava. You can steam or bake these sticky treats.

A list of kakanin examples

1. Bibingka

One well-known Xmas kakanin is the bibingka. It is different from the “bibingkang malagkit” or sticky bibingka, in case you have heard of it. You know it’s almost Christmas season when vendors on the streets and restaurants and hotels start selling bibingka. The traditional way of cooking bibingka is via a bibingka oven (hence the name). According to this recipe, the bibingka mixture is composed of galapong (milled glutinous rice), coconut milk, margarine, and sugar. You can top it with white cheese and salted eggs. As an added treat, you can even mix the salted eggs and white cheese into the mixture itself. When you cut the bibingka open, hello eggs and cheese! It’s a guaranteed yummy treat. 

2. Suman

Another kakanin in the Philippines is the suman. Again, there may be many variations depending on where you are, but suman is generally made from glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk and sugar and wrapped tightly in palm or banana leaves, and then steamed. You can eat it by itself, or put sugar on it or dip it in sugar. Some also eat it with ripe mango pieces for an even sweeter treat. Variations of suman include suman sa lihiya, suman sa ibos, suman pinipig, black rice suman, and suman budbud.

3. Puto – kakanin mother

If you’re wondering “Is puto a kakanin?”, wonder no more! According to Spot.ph, puto is the mother of all kakanin. It’s a rice cake that is porous and steamed. We can also attest that it’s very heavy in the stomach when eaten! Puto is usually round but some people cut them differently. Puto is also usually white but can come in different colors like purple, green, and yellow. We must admit that the food coloring makes the puto more attractive! You usually top puto with cheese, but some make variants like putting salted eggs on top instead. 

4. Puto bumbong

Puto bumbong is another popular Christmas kakanin. Vendors usually sell these alongside bibingka during simbang gabi. Why is this kakanin violet? It’s not because of ube. According to this Spot.ph article, puto bumbong is made from a violet-colored rice mixture. The maker then pours the mixture into thin bamboo tubes, then steamed. It’s like a puto, but it has a different shape and texture. Vendors or sellers usually present puto bumbong on banana leaves and cover them with butter or margarine, coconut shavings, and muscovado sugar. You should eat it hot especially in the cold mornings after mass. Try eating it with hot coffee or hot chocolate. We’d personally consider this as a Filipino dessert!

5. Chocolate moron

Before you ask, no, it’s not the same as the term for “stupid person”. It’s a Filipino kakanin that is almost the same as a suman, according to The Skinny Pot. They’re both wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. However, the moron consists of rice flour, chocolate, vanilla, and milk. The chocolate is the one that really makes it different from the suman. Some even add nuts for a different, more crunchy texture. It’s more prevalent in the Visayas, sold in tourist centers, and part of local festivities. You should try eating these chocolate morons with coffee. It’s a very delicious experience! 

6. Palitaw

Think of this Pinoy kakanin as rice balls being flattened into cookie-like shapes. That’s the appearance of palitaw. According to this article, palitaw is made by washing, soaking, and grounding sticky rice. You’ll have a batter, which you scoop up and place in boiling water. The scoops flatten up and return to the surface, all flattened. As Kawaling Pinoy says, their name is from the Filipino root word “litaw” or “to surface”. One usually finishes palitaw with grated coconut, sesame seeds, and muscovado sugar. From experience, it is also dense like puto, so a few servings of this will make you feel full immediately. 

7. Sapin-sapin 

This is one very colorful Pinoy dessert or snack. According to Esquire, this kakanin originated from Abra, whose people descended from the Tingguran tribe in Ilocos. This particular tribe’s specialty involves woven blankets and baskets. And the name “sapin-sapin” refers to blankets and layers, which is the appearance of this kakanin cake. One makes traditional sapin-sapin using sticky rice dough, coconut milk, and sugar (like everything on this list, hehe). The dough is then split into three parts and colors: the violet color on top is made from ube or purple yam; the middle white part is coconut; and the kakanin yellow color is jackfruit. You usually top off sapin-sapin with latik or toasted coconut flakes. Stores in malls or supermarkets also sell sapin-sapin, but based on experience, commercial sapin-sapin have no flavoring. Best to try the traditionally made ones!

8. Kutsinta

According to this article, kutsinta is a kakanin one makes from steaming rice flour, lye water, brown sugar, atsuete or food coloring, and grated coconut. For us, this is one of the more popular types of kakanin Pinoy. Not only is it present during parties, birthdays, and other occasions, you can also see kutsinta being sold on the streets during merienda hours. You can eat kutsinta for either merienda or breakfast. It has a nice, gelatinous texture and has just the right amount of sweetness, making it a joy to eat. As a testament to its prevalence, during the pandemic, a variant black kutsinta rose in popularity. While you usually top kutsinta with coconut shavings, you eat black kutsinta with caramel sauce and toasted coconut. 

9. Maja blanca kakanin

Maja blanca is basically a coconut pudding that one cuts into rectangles or squares, topped with toasted coconut. It’s actually similar to panna cotta. Variants of the kakanin maja blanca can involve the use of corn, cheese, ube, and pandan. Again, different regions of the Philippines mean different preparation processes. According to this recipe, some include cornstarch diluted in water or canned evaporated milk. This makes the maja blanca thicker and helps it set faster. Some even add condensed milk instead of sugar which makes it milkier and sweeter. What’s definitely sure is that maja blanca makes regular appearances during birthdays, fiestas, and snack times. It feels very light on the stomach, so you’ll be sure to get more than one piece.

10. Cassava cake (not a kakanin, technically)

This is one on the list that’s not made of sticky or glutinous rice but is still considered as kakanin.  According to Juan Kakanin, cassava cake is made with freshly grated cassava, eggs, coconut milk, and sugar. It is topped with melted cheese. You normally bake cassava cake in round leche flan tin molds, so it’s usually round, but there have been appearances of square or rectangular ones. If you’re looking for unique cake recipes or dessert recipes, you should definitely check out the cassava cake. And if you’re wondering if “Is kakanin a dessert?”, this one is. It is available commercially but if you feel like making your own, there are plenty of cassava kakanin recipes available. Eating this creamy, soft, and cheesy cake will make you crave for more!

There are more kinds of kakanin out there!

These are just a few that we have seen and tasted. This list is by no means a comprehensive one. As we said above, there are many different kinds of kakanin all over the Philippines. You’ll also find out that Pinoy kakanin names may change depending on where you are at the moment. For example, if you buy suman in Antipolo, you’ll see that it is different from the suman you buy in Mindanao (Mindanao suman is called “dodol”). Try to discover all the others, and see which one ends up as the one you consider the best kakanin!

Speaking of kakanin, how to make them, you ask? Well, The Bailiwick Academy has a new Kakanin online class by Chef Chona Garcia Laureta. If you want to produce your own, what better way than by enrolling in this class? You’ll get to make five different kinds. And because Chef Chona modified the Pinoy kakanin recipes to add a modern take, you can be sure that you’ll be making kakanin with a twist. Follow each winning, easy-to-follow kakanin recipe, and you’ll have no problem producing your own delicious Pinoy dessert!

Check out this video about the Kakanin class!

And since it’s a new class, it also has an introductory rate until June 13, 2021. It’s a deal that you cannot miss.

Say good-bye to searching “kakanin near me” or “kakanin where to buy” when you’re craving. Click here to enroll in Chef Chona’s class now!

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