Chef Sergey Leonov claims that traditional New Year's dishes often do not align with healthy eating. He shared secrets of a healthy lifestyle for the festive menu.
To enjoy not only delicious dishes but also lightness after them during the New Year, and to avoid gaining extra pounds, Sergey Leonov advises excluding sweet drinks and sodas. Instead, it is better to serve fermented alternatives — water kefir or kombucha made from tea fungus. These drinks are excellent helpers for digestion.
“If you are preparing familiar salads, try to do without hot dishes and skip the cake. For dessert, you can offer frozen raspberries. They contain ellagic acid — a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent hangovers. They are low in sugar, and in winter they become a real delicacy,” notes the chef.
He also recommends ensuring that there is more protein on the table than carbohydrates and fats. Sergey Leonov suggests slightly modifying the classic Olivier recipe by replacing canned peas with frozen ones. This product is rich in protein and the amino acid lysine, and it only takes 1 minute of blanching in boiling water to prepare it. Instead of sausage, the chef advises using chicken fillet, and mayonnaise can be made from scratch.
“I would also replace pickles with fresh ones, and boiled carrots with radishes. Radishes, in addition to vitamins and minerals, have a choleretic effect, which is very important for processing everything we ate on New Year's Eve. Don’t forget to add a variety of greens: watercress, parsley, dill, cilantro, spinach, or sorrel. Be sure to put sauerkraut or Korean kimchi on the table. The presence of fermented products and drinks at the festive table will help avoid feeling unwell the next day,” shares Sergey Leonov's opinion.
Speaking about January 1, the chef emphasizes the importance of zinc-rich foods, which he considers the best remedy for hangovers. Mussels, which retain trace elements well in frozen form, will be an excellent choice. Chicken eggs also contain a lot of zinc. For coffee lovers, the chef recommends replacing regular milk with nut milk, which also contains zinc.
“Beets will help alleviate the symptoms of intoxication. They contain antioxidants that aid recovery from oxidative stress caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Additionally, beets restore the function of the gallbladder and liver. Freshly squeezed beet juice is ideal, but you can also make a salad from the raw vegetable, grated finely with olive oil,” says Sergey Leonov.
Undoubtedly, sauerkraut remains a leader in the fight against hangovers. The whole secret lies in the fermentation process, which produces beneficial bacteria that help restore the intestines and quickly alleviate the effects of alcohol poisoning.
“The best breakfast for a hangover is a good portion of pickled vegetables with a protein component. For example, eggs with a runny yolk or a sandwich with liver pâté,” concludes Sergey Leonov.
