Holiday Cheers To Your Health!
All you want for Christmas is tasty food that isn't bad for your health! Well, you've come to the right page. Consider us your nutritional elves working in the North Pole's kitchen. From traditional treats to classic side dishes, here are nutritional holiday recipes to try this season.
1. Roasted Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are the quintessential holiday side dish that often doesn't impress the kiddos. You'll change their minds when you roast them this way. Toss your sprouts with a generous pour of maple syrup, olive oil, sea salt, and spices, then pop them in the oven. Once they're candied to a golden brown, drizzle them with balsamic reduction and your kids will be asking for seconds.
Sebastian Coman Photography on Unsplash
2. Roasted Cauliflower & Pomegranate Salad
This hearty salad hits all the food groups and all the colors of Christmas. Juicy red pomegranate seeds decorate the salad with a tart sweetness, green mint and cilantro add a fresh bite, and roasted white cauliflower adds a toasty crunch. Sprinkle roasted chickpeas and toasted nuts on top for a tasty protein option and drizzle the salad in a tahini dressing.
3. Avocado Salad Boats
If you're an avocado lover then we know you're on board for this recipe. Add a fresh and nutritious side dish to your holiday spread with an avocado salad boat. Scoop out the avocado and smash it into a dressing and use the peel halves to hold your salads. Make it a festive color display with crunchy radishes, juicy tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, and leafy greens.
4. Cheerful Chocolate Strawberries
Cheerful chocolate strawberries got their name because they're a simple holiday sweet without any refined sugar but all the flavor. Every juicy chocolatey bite bursts with vitamins and antioxidants. Dip your berries in melted dark chocolate and coat them with dried goji berries, or chopped nuts and coconut flakes to look like snow. A sprinkle of sea salt is the tasty secret that makes these chocolate strawberries a gift to your taste buds.
5. Snowman Buttons
Snowman buttons are a healthy play on the confection called mendiants that the French often serve at Christmas time. If you can melt chocolate into puddles then you can make this delicious no-bake dessert. The buttons pack a nutritious punch with dark chocolate, dried fruit like apricots , nuts like pistachios, and seeds like pepita.
American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash
6. Cinnamon Apple Chips
Cinnamon apple chips are a tasty snack with a dose of healthy holiday spirit. They're the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy with a sweet and spicy kick from the cinnamon. There's no need for sugar because toasting them in the oven enhances their sweetness.
7. Date Gingerbread Cookies
Just because you're being healthy doesn't mean you have to skip your holiday favorites! Remove the sugar and butter from a traditional gingerbread recipe and replace them with dates. You will not miss the unhealthy ingredients when you take a bite of these perfectly sweet and chewy cookies.
8. Red & Green Potato Salad
It's like potato salad but it's red and green! Bring the summer picnic indoors this winter with a hearty potato salad exploding in seasonal colors and vegetables. Keep the skins on red skin potatoes for their nutrients and color, use green veggies like celery, spring onions, and cucumber, and red veg like bell peppers and radishes. Don't forget a dusting of bright red paprika.
9. Festive Flatbread
With a cauliflower crust option, this festive flatbread is a healthier alternative to your average pizza. With holiday ingredients like squash, roasted brussels sprouts, spinach, and marinara sauce, you can get creative with your flavors and colors.
10. Cheesy Christmas Casserole
This vibrant Christmas casserole oozes with melted cheese in every bite. It's loaded with red and green vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, and tomatoes, and herbs like parsley and oregano. It's a casserole full of vitamin-loaded layers.
11. Gingerbread Rice Krispie Squares
Kids of all ages will enjoy these classic rice krispie treats with a health-conscious twist. Swap the sugary marshmallows with molasses for the same chewy bite. Get a kick of holiday flavor from the gingerbread spices that'll warm your taste buds.
Kari Sullivan from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
12. Trail Mix Apple Bowls
This snack will be a hit with the kids and the adults alike. An apple bowl makes this dish fun, flavorful, and festive. Fill your edible bowls with protein and fiber from rich nuts, salty seeds, and sweet dried fruit.
13. Honey Glazed Carrots
Caramelize your roasted carrots with honey for a tasty nutritious side dish. Honey glazed carrots decorate a Christmas plate in with color and flavor. Goat cheese adds a snowy garnish and balances the sweet and crunchy carrots with its savory and creamy bite.
14. Peppermint Ice Cream
The healthy secret here is that it's not made with cream at all. This naturally vegan dessert is made with a frozen banana base, shaved dark chocolate, honey, cocoa powder, and mint. The only added sugar is the optional crushed candy canes you can sprinkle on top.
15. Pumpkin Squash Soup
You can't get through the winter holidays without a butternut squash soup on the menu. There are so many benefits that come along with this creamy soup; it warms you up, it's filling, and it tastes like the season. With plants like pumpkin, squash, onions, ginger, and garlic, this soup is a blended potion of healthy ingredients.
16. Holiday Greens
A holiday green salad is chockfull of flavor, nutrients, and festive colors. Toss a vinaigrette over a bed of spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta or goat cheese, green pumpkin seeds, walnuts and dried cranberries.
17. Festive Peanut Butter Truffles
Chocolate covered peanut butter truffles are a bite-sized taste of heaven. These protein-packed balls can be made in various ways with natural peanut butter and dark chocolate as your star ingredients. There are several ways to deck them in Christmas by coating them in a raspberry sauce or dusting them with coconut "snow".
18. Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes
The cinnamon and cayenne add a holiday spice kick you didn't know you wanted. The spicy topping delightfully balances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. They're sweet and savory and make a healthy side dish perfect for the family feast.
19. Fresh Winter Bowl
It's cold outside but you can't live off of hot food forever. This bowl is a cheerful mix of hot and cold ingredients. It gets its warmth from the hot falafel and couscous and the chill comes from the raw vegetables like cucumbers and celery. Top it off with a green goddess dressing and pomegranate seeds for a burst of vitamins and festive colors.
20. Strawberry Raspberry Sorbet
You can't go wrong with this bright red dessert. Made from vitamin and mineral-rich red berries, it's vibrant in color and flavor. The sweetness from the strawberries pairs well with the sour tartness from the raspberries. Chill out with this zesty and creamy sugar-free sorbet.
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