It can be tough to stay healthy during the holidays. Office parties, decadent desserts, family get-togethers, they can be enough to throw even the most health-conscious off track. At Provenance Meals, we’re all about balance. So enjoy this season of good cheer and enjoy your mom’s famous cookies. We’ll be here with clean eats during the week and help you get back on track to your wellness routine and goals in the New Year.

Alcohol is ever-abundant this time of year, too. Here are some tips we like to follow to keep our imbibing in check:

Drink a glass of water between each drink. You’ll stay hydrated and drink less alcohol overall.
Eat first. A meal with healthy fats and protein will slow absorption to the bloodstream, which will spike your blood sugar less and help keep hormones in check.
Dilute your drink. Try turning that wine into a wine spritzer with some soda water, or use half the amount of liquor called for in a drink.
Mix up a mocktail. You can always have a fun tasty drink without the booze. (We’ve included a recipe for a Pumpkin Mocktail below, with the option for adding rum. Perfect if you have some people imbibing and others not.)
Choose a better mixer. Avoid soda and high-fructose-laden pre-mixed drinks. Make your own cocktails from fresh fruit and herbs and try mixing with sparkling water, coconut water, or kombucha.

Speaking of kombucha, it's one of our favorite beverages year-round. Usually starting with a base of sweet black tea, this fermented tea contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and has long been acknowledged for its health-promoting properties. Similar to a sourdough starter, the sweet tea ferments as the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (also known as a SCOBY) eats up the caffeine and sugar, turning it to a nutrient-rich probiotic beverage that’s good for your gut.

As a great alternative to soda, kombucha is already set to be the perfect cocktail mixer. Our go-to kombucha mixer is Kombrewcha. They make a hard kombucha with an ABV of 3.2% - less than a beer or cider, but more than regular kombucha’s level of less than .5% alcohol. We love it on its own, but can’t resist some of these tasty cocktails, too.

Check out our Top 3 Favorite Clean Cocktail Recipes:

Royal Mule

3 oz Royal Ginger Kombrewcha
1 ¾ oz vodka
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz coconut sugar simple syrup (optional)

Mix vodka, fresh lime juice and simple syrup in a tall glass. Add ice, top with Royal Ginger Kombrewcha, stir and garnish with a lime wedge. We recommend Prairie Organic Spirits vodka.

Berry Brewch Fizz

3 oz Berry Hibiscus Kombrewcha
1 oz gin
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz coconut sugar simple syrup (optional)
Rosemary sprig to garnish

Shake gin, lemon juice, and coconut sugar simple syrup (if using) together and pour over ice. Top with Berry Hibiscus Kombrewcha and garnish with rosemary. We recommend Prairie Organic Spirits gin.

Pumpkin Cocktail/Mocktail

1 oz ginger tea, cooled
1 oz pumpkin puree
1 oz almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tsp maple syrup
1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
1 oz rum (optional)

Shake everything vigorously with ice in a cocktail shaker and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with cinnamon. If using rum we recommend local Red Hook distilled Widow Jane Rum.

Coconut Simple Syrup

1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup water

Warm coconut sugar and water over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved completely. Let cool before using.