25 Healthy Holiday Recipes So Delicious You'll Forget They're Good for You
This Christmas season give yourself the gift of feeling well.
This year, along with the typical indulgent Christmas dinner menu, give yourself (and anyone else who's trying stick to their goals) a little help by including a few of these healthy Christmas recipes. We've gathered plenty of good-for-you entrées, Christmas side dishes, and easy Christmas desserts that are just as festive and fun without the regret that too-often accompanies overeating.
Roasted Pear, Sweet Potato, and Radicchio Salad
Want to keep the holidays healthier? Put together a salad everyone will want to eat! With blue cheese, roasted squash, and sweet pears, this hearty side is practically a main dish!
Butternut Squash Pie
If you want to make dessert a little healthier, switch up your winter gourds. Butternut squash has more fiber, complex carbs, and iron than pumpkin.
Citrus-Roasted Salmon
For a lighter take on Christmas dinner, this rich, succulent salmon fillet is full of seasonal citrusy goodness, yet opulent enough to feel fully festive.
Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio
Give this simple salad a try. The earthy mushrooms pair incredibly well with the bitter radicchio, tempered in a balsamic vinaigrette.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin
We think you might just trick your children into eating their vegetables this Christmas with our broccoli and cauliflower gratin.
Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Tomatoes
Want something with green and red Christmas colors, packed with veggies, and still pretty fancy? The genius of this recipe is everything roasts together, which both melds the flavors and makes cooking and cleanup a breeze.
Lemon-Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Broccolini
Vitamin-packed Broccolini is an ingenious hybrid between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, and here it cooks right with the chicken.
Sweet-and-Smoky Cedar-Planked Salmon
Who says you need to have a Christmas ham? Go for a lighter entrée, like this absolutely delicious salmon dish. It counts paprika and brown sugar as two main ingredients.
Salt-and-Pepper Charred Green Beans
You won't believe how flavorful these green beans are with just a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Composed Waldorf Salad
Give the classic fruit and nut salad a twist with sweet pomegranates and a delicious Dijon dressing.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Cider Vinaigrette
Although we love sweet apple cider recipes, this savory take is one of our favorites. The butternut squash gets plenty of savory notes thanks to whole-grain mustard, red wine vinegar, and fresh parsley.
Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Shallots and Hazelnuts
These Brussels sprouts prove that healthy food doesn't have to be boring. The pickled shallots and toasted hazelnuts make a nutty, tangy combo that you won't be able to get enough of.
Wild Rice and Cider-Cranberry Pilaf
Wild rice, which has more protein and fewer calories than white or even brown rice, is an excellent ingredient to include. And the nutty flavor is delicious!
Potato and Celery-Root Gratin
Celery root lends unique flavor and freshness, as well as a touch more nutrition to this variation on a classic potato gratin.
Quick tip: An inexpensive mandoline will slice potatoes uniformly and thin, helping them cook evenly.
Roasted Squash with Goat Cheese and Poached Cranberries
This dish is packed with flavor from the cranberries simmering alongside orange juice and rosemary.
A Big Ol' Chopped Salad
The purpose of a holiday salad is to give your guests a break from the heavier fare on the table. We love dressing this one with a simple, tangy red wine vinaigrette, loading it with crunchy Persian cucumbers, and topping it all off with a smattering of local parsley, basil, and fennel. And of course, chopping it all up nice and fine.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
This super simple recipe calls for a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Winter Chopped Salad
We're pretty sure there isn't a more appropriate salad to place on your Christmas menu than one that's packed with cold-weather vegetables. This one features beets, cauliflower, cucumber, and more.
Corn Salad with Bacon and Honey
To make it healthier cut halve (or eliminate) the bacon. But either way you can't deny that this corn salad cooked with fresh thyme and drizzled with honey doesn't sound delicious.
Marinated Squash Tart
This squash tart is a perfect appetizer for your Christmas feast, since it's satisfyingly creamy, yet light enough to keep room for dinner.
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