These Healthy Holiday Recipes Are So Good Your Family May Not Notice (2024)

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!

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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.

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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.

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Give this simple salad a try. The earthy mushrooms pair incredibly well with the bitter radicchio, tempered in a balsamic vinaigrette.

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We think you might just trick your children into eating their vegetables this Christmas with our broccoli and cauliflower gratin.

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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.

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Vitamin-packed Broccolini is an ingenious hybrid between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, and here it cooks right with the chicken.

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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.

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You won't believe how flavorful these green beans are with just a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

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Give the classic fruit and nut salad a twist with sweet pomegranates and a delicious Dijon dressing.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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This dish is packed with flavor from the cranberries simmering alongside orange juice and rosemary.

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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.

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This super simple recipe calls for a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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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.

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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.

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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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