With Christmas just a few days away, the holiday partying and feasting is at its peak. Typically, this means absolute trouble for one’s diet. Indulging this festive season is quite normal, however, one doesn’t have to completely “fall off the wagon” in terms of healthy eating.

I’m a firm believer that in times wherein you know you cannot strictly adhere to your usual proper diet and workout routine, it’s even more crucial to find balance.

What do I mean by balance? Since you may have a high-calorie meal at a dinner party, perhaps it’s even more important to get your workout in the next morning or maybe fast till lunch. Since you know that you will be having sugary desserts and cocktails at a social gathering, perhaps make sure the next few meals that are not so indulgent. When I say balance, I mean we should counter the “bad stuff” with the good stuff.

The other approach to balance is if you have healthier alternatives to commonly unhealthy items. I love this option because I can thoroughly enjoy my favorite treats, but not go on the downward spiral of the all-or-nothing mentality.

With this in mind, there a few not-so-unhealthy treats that I’ve learned to love that make for perfect gifts or desserts to share with others at your Friendsmas gathering or ‘Noche Buena’ meal. Check them out!

Athlete’s Bite Tiramisu

This cake has been a hit with everyone I’ve had try so far. I even have a friend who thought I was joking when I said it has zero sugar and zero net carbs. Yes, it is true—this tiramisu is both vegan and keto. This is one of the few sweet offerings from Athlete’s Bite, a customized meal preparation service that specializes in meals for in-competition athletes and patients suffering from medical conditions. With that in mind, you can be assured that this is truly a healthy dessert with only the best ingredients. And, after having tried it, I know it’s a quite tasty one as well!

Simply Healthy Manila Fruit Cake

I’m not the biggest fan of fruit cake, but because of its popularity especially during the holidays, this baked goody has grown on me. I’ve had many different kinds, and by far, this tastes better than the others. This may be because of the high-quality ingredients used. All ingredients used in Simply Healthy Manila are organic, vegan, and refined sugar-free, making their treats quite delicious, and guilt-free. I’ve also tried their Food for Gods, and that’s a good one for holiday gatherings as well!

Keto Pint Coffee Ice Cream

Keto Pint is new to the Philippine market, and it’s the first keto-certified premium ice cream. I recently had the pleasure to try the coffee flavor, and I was thoroughly impressed. Coffee is my all-time favorite ice cream flavor, so let’s just say that I’ve had a good share of different kinds of coffee ice cream. Despite this being healthy, it was creamy and flavorful. I would highly recommend replacing your traditionally high-fat and high-sugar ice cream for this. They also come in other flavors like strawberry, peanut butter cup, mint chocolate chip and more.

Athlete’s Bite Snickers Cake

This has to be my ultimate favorite healthy alternative to a dessert. I tempted to call it simply a dessert rather than a healthy alternative because of how scrumptious this is. Snickers is one of my favorite candies, so when I heard the Athlete’s Bite had a Snickers cake, somehow, I knew it was going to be divine. And it is! I may have finished this cake all in one sitting. And, by myself. Yes, I have no trouble admitting that and I feel no guilt because this is also refined sugar-free and made with all-natural premium ingredients.

Yes, share it with others. This is a season of sharing delectable treats and holiday cheer. I find it extremely important to partake in social gatherings and taking time to celebrate. That too is part of being healthy and living a well-balanced life.

With that said, just know that there are so many awesome healthy foods out there, that are as yummy as your traditional treats. Especially during this festive season, I encourage you to be healthy and share that wealth with others. Happy Holidays!