We all know the struggle: 

It’s the holidays, and everyone is bringing over their favorite “guilty-pleasure” dishes. For those of us who have food sensitivities or restrictions, it can be kind of an adventure to navigate through the maze of lemon icebox pies, store-bought hot dogs, and all the gluten you could ask for. You want your cake, and you want to eat it now! 

I’ve been there, and every holiday spent with family was a real challenge when I was trying to “stick to my routine.” But letting loose in your regular food intake every once in a while is healthy, and I encourage it as a part of mindful eating. This isn’t always the easiest task when it comes to staying sugar free as much as possible, but there are options! 

After picking up some locally-grown berries, I decided to whip up something special and satisfying (without the sugar load). As you can probably tell from my Instagram page, I like to use local ingredients as much as possible. Part of this is because I want to ensure that what I am putting in to my body will not undermine the healing time I have put in for my body. I normally will use ingredients, or foods, that I get from the local farmers in my area. It was made easier to supply my family with the nutrient-dense foods that we needed most by going through a co-op, which is something my husband and I eventually ended up taking on ourselves (and boy, is it nice to have that direct access to farm-fresh food!). 

When it comes to sugar, I like to try and balance things out with some fat or a easily-digestible protein (sprouted nuts or seeds). This time, I decided to lace a little Collagen into my grass-fed goodness that I concocted (as well as making my berry bowls as patriotic as possible). 

Berry Bowls

2 cups cream (check out what we have from Sandy Creek Farms)

Dash of Coconut Sugar (or, if you are completely sugar-free, nothing at all)

1/2 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

-Using an electric mixer (or hand beater if you are feeling like a workout), pour the cold cream into the mixing bowl while mixing on high. 

-Next, slowly add the collagen in a constant stream (take it slow to avoid clumping), followed by a touch of sweetener (raw honey, coconut sugar). You can even just add a couple drops of vanilla extract and call it a day! 

Place in the fridge to chill, and slice up your berries or whatever fruit you have on hand. Once the whipped cream has chilled some, layer the berries in your bowls of choice (I didn’t put mine in a small parfait cup, but those work great!) and dollop the cream on top.