Our holiday meals don?t usually tend to be the healthiest of the year. We almost all have a collection of handed down, traditional recipes that are full of sugars and fats. Though it?s sometimes hard to trade in those family recipes for healthier ones, this roundup of recipes will make you happy to swap in some new ones. Plus you can begin a new tradition of handing down some much healthier recipes to future generations.
Traditional green bean casserole has 161 calories per serving and 530 mg of sodium. Serve roasted green beans instead. With only 37 calories and 196 mg of sodium per serving, this is a much healthier alternative. Just drizzle the green beans in olive oil, toss with sea salt and pepper, then roast in a pre-heated oven.
Get a boost of Vitamin C in this delicious, low calorie salad. Radishes and apples give it a festive touch of bright red color. The dish also contains endive, romaine lettuce, fennel, and hearts of palm. It?s topped with champagne vinaigrette. Each serving contains just 111 calories and 7 grams of fat.
Roasted Chicken with Lemons and Thyme
Rub paprika, salt, pepper, and thyme between the skin and meat of a roasting chicken, then stuff lemon slices inside the body cavity and under the skin. This recipe also includes an incredible gravy made from the drippings, using flour as the thickener. One serving of this roasted chicken contains 174 calories and 6.7 grams of fat.
The rub is composed of sage, thyme, parsley, and olive oil.? The au jus includes sage, thyme and parsley, as well as honey, apple juice, and the turkey drippings. The herbs lend a delicious flavor to the meat and au jus without adding any additional fat. A four ounce serving of this turkey with au jus is only 215 calories and 3 grams of fat.
Perfectly suited as a side to the herb rubbed turkey, these potatoes also call for thyme and parsley. Use red potatoes, thinly sliced almost through. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with herbs, salt, and pepper, then roast. A one potato serving of accordion potatoes comes in at 270 calories and four grams of fat.
The winner of the Dr. Oz Viewer Holiday Cookie Swap, this recipe is a fabulous and healthy holiday dessert. The recipe includes a light vanilla frosting, too. It?s very simple to make. The cranberries give you some extra Vitamin C. The cookies also include fiber and iron. Serving a dessert with fiber after a large holiday meal will aid in digestion and help your guests feel remain feeling full.
This dish has an exciting combination of flavors and very low calories. Half an acorn squash and remove the seeds. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and drained, crushed pineapple together. Scoop the cooked squash pulp out and combine with the pineapple and spice mixture. Place the mixture back into the squash, then bake a bit longer. This one will only cost you 80 calories per serving and no fat at all.
Remember to try new recipes in advance of the holiday so you won?t have any last minute surprises. Practicing the new recipes will also give you the opportunity to check the flavor and make adjustments to the ingredients as needed. These seven healthy holiday recipes are a selection of side dishes, main dishes and desserts that should get you started on planning a holiday menu that doesn?t compromise taste for health.