Healthy Holiday Recipes
By Nutritional Weight & Wellness Staff
December 8, 2024
Cookies, pie, rich cheese-filled potato dishes, festive drinks, and traditional casseroles are part of the holiday celebrations for many of us each year. Unfortunately, these traditional dishes and treats often leave us feeling crabby, give us tummy aches and heartburn, make our joints ache, and maybe even put us to sleep.
It’s enough to make you think, “Bah humbug,” after it’s all said and done.
The good news is that there are delicious but healthy holiday recipes you can make this year to start some new food traditions at your holiday meal with your friends and family.
We checked in with our experts, the nutritionists at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, to see what they’re making this holiday season and came up with balanced, yet delicious, options for your healthy holiday spread.
So whether you’re hosting the whole family affair for Christmas dinner, asked to bring a dish to the holiday work party, or just looking for something to nibble on while watching the New Year’s Eve ball drop, try these tasty healthy holiday recipes!
They use real food ingredients that help balance your blood sugar, nourish your body, and tickle your tastebuds.
Holiday Season Appetizers
Green Veggie Dip
Jazz up your veggies with this dip that is actually delicious and appropriate for year round festivities (including the boring day to day routines).
A fun add to your veggie tray or charcuterie board, this mayo based dip is dairy free and can be made with fresh or dried herbs for a healthy way to get those vegetable servings in.
We like to surround this dip with carrots, cucumber, peppers, jicama, snap peas - with bonus points for making a festive holiday design on your tray!
Get the Green Veggie Dip recipe here
Wild Rice Meatballs
On theregular day to day, meatballs make a great healthy meal or snack, so for holiday gatherings these are the perfect appetizer. Stick toothpicks into these super simple and delicious crowd pleaser and you'll have a great protein source for a healthy option on the appetizer spread.
Recipe tip: buy pre-cooked wild rice to make this recipe even easier to make during the busy holidays!
Get the Wild Rice Meatballs recipe here
Healthy Charcuterie Board
In addition to your veggie platter, everyone loves a fancy meat and cheese tray! This is a healthy alternative to the chips and Chex mix type snackies.
On your favorite cutting board, select a few varieties of nitrate-free deli meat, a couple hard or soft cheese options, smoked salmon, olives, pickles, fermented veggies, almonds or spiced nuts, apple slices, grapes, hummus made with a healthy oil, guacamole, grainy mustards, or a bit of drizzled honey.
To create a balanced board, think about the salt flavor that comes from the nitrate-free meats and cheeses paired with the fresh sweet of the raw vegetables and fruits, and contrasted with the tang from the fermented foods. A party for all the parts of your taste buds!
Holiday Dinner: The Main Dish
Brined & Roasted Turkey Or Chicken
Whether you want to do a roasted chicken or turkey for your holiday main dish, this recipe has a simple brine and herb mixture that includes rosemary, cracked pepper, and paprika without any refined sugars or oils.
Grab the Brined & Roasted Turkey recipe here
Pulled Beef
Not only is this recipe delicious and healthy, the best part is how easy it is. Plop a chuck roast or stew meat in your slow cooker with garlic, onion, and a little Cajun spice and the family will be asking for seconds!
Get the Pulled Beef recipe here
Braised Beef Short Ribs
This healthy holiday recipe might not be for the faint of heart, but for those who are looking for a fancy, healthy protein for your holiday meal that's sure to impress... this one's for you! Dry red wine or beef broth paired with savory thyme makes this dish fall-off-the-bone and melt-in-your-mouth after cooking it for 2-3 hours.
Get the Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe here
Turkey Quinoa Stew
Main dishes for the holiday dinner that can be simmered on the stove in one pan while you prep other healthy holiday recipes for your guests are key to an easeful holidays.
Quinoa is a quick grain to cook, so this recipe takes little time to prepare once you throw the medley of diced vegetables in. This main dish pairs well with other appetizers and sides for Christmas dinner or for a cozy New Year's Eve gathering on a cold winter's night.
Get the Turkey Quinoa Stew recipe here
Pot Pie Soup
A great recipe to use up all that leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner turkey OR as a rich, savory dish for a cozy holiday gathering, this soup is the one-pot, low carb version of the pot pie.
With the taste you know and love, this super simple recipe is wonderful year round, but especially in the colder months of fall, winter, and during the holiday season. Make a big batch and enjoy leftovers the next day after the holidays!
Get the Pot Pie Soup recipe here
Holiday Dinner: Healthy Side Dish Options
Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole
For a fun spin on the mashed potato classic holiday dish, what about mixing it up with a sweet potato option for the added nutrition of beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium?
Just the right amount of sweet without added sugar, this recipe doesn't technically call for cinnamon, but might as well add a little sprinkle with the chopped pecans, yeah?
The fun orange hue of the sweet potato makes this healthy holiday recipe a gorgeous, gluten free side dish.
Get the Mashed Potato Casserole recipe here
Roasted Veggies
Keep the side dish simple by adding roasted butternut squash, green beans, sweet potato chunks, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and any of your other favorite roasting veggie to a couple sheet pans in the oven. Use some avocado oil and your favorite savory spices for a nutrient packed side dish.
Get the Sheet Pan Autumn Chicken with Squash & Apples recipe here*
*skip the chicken and interchange the veggies to customize this recipe for a roasted veggies side dish
Healthy Holiday Salad
You can't go wrong with a healthy salad as part of the holiday meal spread.
Grab some leafy greens and top it with a mix of some sweet and savory festive toppings: roasted pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, pomegranate seeds, fancy crumbled cheese, dried cranberries, chunks of sweet potatoes or roasted butternut squash, apple or pear slices... the skies the limit!
Drizzle with a homemade olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
If you are a recipe follower, check out this Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Salad Recipe and use it for inspiration on building your own delicious salad mix. The sturdiness of the Brussels sprouts let's you make this salad in advance without it getting wilty. Perfect for when you're the guest asked to bring a dish!
Get the Healthy Olive Oil Salad Dressing recipe here
Green Bean Casserole
Just because we are looking for healthy options doesn't mean we have to throw a family holiday recipe out the window! This holiday recipe uses your favorite green beans with healthier ingredients like real mushrooms, heavy cream (or coconut milk for dairy free) and crumbled bacon and almond flour for that crunchy top.
Get the Green Bean Casserole recipe here
Mashed Potatoes & Cauliflower
Butter, cream, and salt make this classic dish the perfect pairing with roasted chicken, Thanksgiving turkey, or your favorite protein holiday recipe of choice.
The secret ingredient here is cauliflower! To give you some extra vegetable nutrition and to lower the starchy carbohydrate content so you have more room in your meal plan for the apple pie.
Save yourself some time and buy the frozen riced cauliflower and no one will even know it is in there!
Get the Mashed Potatoes & Cauliflower recipe here
Healthy Holiday Dessert
Mocha Mousse
Finish the holiday meal with a balanced treat that happens to be gluten free and includes some protein, healthy fat, and topped with a little fruit. The main part of the mousse can be made with or without the mocha flavor and has chia seeds for some extra fiber.
Create festive toppings with raspberries, coconut flakes, mini dark chocolate chips, toasted sunflower seeds, and/or a plop of homemade whipped cream.
Get the Mocha Mousse recipe here
Gluten-Free Cranberry Maple Pear Pie
Better than the jiggly cranberry sauce from the can with the high fructose corn syrup, this cranberry pear pie sweated with maple syrup and fruit is a delicious dessert with a gluten-free crust and is one of our favorite healthy holiday recipes for any fall occasion.
Get the Gluten Free Cranberry Maple Pear Pie recipe here
Pumpkin Custard
This holiday dessert recipe gives you that fall pumpkin flavor fix with cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and just a touch of sweet flavor from maple syrup or monk fruit sweetener.
This recipe is gluten free AND dairy free, which is a perfect holiday season tasty treat without the blood sugar spike!
Get the Pumpkin Custard recipe here
Bonus: Holiday Drinks
If you like to raise a toast at your gatherings, might we suggest trying out one of our nine mocktail recipes? Have a festive holiday drink without the alcohol so you can support your liver and your sleep while still making merry.
Make a Bitters & Soda Mocktail with some festive pomegranate seeds and a sprig of rosemary as a garnish, toss some flavored balsamic vinegar into a sparkling water, or try some citrus in a club soda.
Get all the Fun Cocktail Alternatives here
Nutrition Packed Recipes For A Healthy Holiday
So there is our round up of healthy holiday recipes packed with festive flavors and nutrition to keep you healthy through the merry weeks until the new year!
We think showing your love to family and friends during the holidays by cooking food from healthy holiday recipes is such a sweet way to show you care.
Healthy foods don't have to be dull and boring. They can be packed with nostalgic flavors and quality ingredients while you gather with your loved ones.
We hope you enjoy the recipes and have a nourishing, delicious holiday season!
For more holiday recipes and nutrition information, check out these resources:
GIFT IDEA: The Weight & Wellness Way Cookbook And Nutrition Guide - a great gift for yourself or a loved one that will give back all year round, not just for a healthy holiday recipe. Most recipes are gluten free with many dairy-free options.
READ: Healthy Holiday Tips From The Nutritionists & Dietitians - tips and tricks our nutrition experts use for themselves and their families to not only survive the holidays but to thrive.
LISTEN: How To Manage Health During The Holidays - How can you enjoy the social gatherings and the nostalgic traditions while still keeping your energy levels, blood sugars, cholesterol numbers, and your weight in a positive range?
