Delicious Dietitian Approved Recipes for a Healthier Holiday Season
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD.
My husband is the furthest thing from a dietitian, but he has a lot of common sense when it comes to health. In fact, he is the author of the simplest, most thought-provoking proclamation on health I’ve ever heard. It goes like this:
“Your body keeps an accurate journal.”
When I asked him to explain he said, “We can try to fool ourselves and underestimate the amount of junk we eat, but our body knows better.”
I offer you these words not as a suggestion to restrict yourself from enjoying your favorite holiday foods, but as inspiration to help you bring a little balance to your food choices this season. The following Fx™-approved recipes can help you do just that. They fulfill at least one Fx™ Pillar and use wholesome ingredients such as:
- An array of vegetables, greens, and low glycemic fruits to excite your palate and fill your body with powerful antioxidants
- Natural sweeteners like Heinen’s pure maple syrup, honey, dates, and fresh fruit
- Herbs and spices such as oregano, thyme, cilantro, paprika, and coriander that flavor dishes with functional nutrients while minimizing salt
- Healthy fats like Heinen’s extra virgin olive oil, omega-3-rich nuts and fresh ground nut butters, grass-fed butter, Heinen’s tahini, and Heinen’s coconut oil
I hope you’ll consider trying one or more of these recipes this holiday season to lend some balance to your festive menus.
Appetizers
Sweet Potato Avocado Bites: Colorful and nutritious, these bite-size apps are easy to make and packed with flavor and antioxidant power!
Greek Hummus Platter: Serve this tasty and clean hummus with crudité and Mary’s Gone crackers.
Baked Citrus Olives: Heinen’s offers a delicious assortment of premium olives in the Grocery Aisles. Simply toss them in a baking dish with fresh citrus and enjoy this warm, savory starter!
Fig and Walnut Tapenade with Goat Cheese: Walnuts are a wonderful source of omega-3 fats to protect your brain, and the A2 protein in goat cheese is easier to digest than cow’s milk cheese! I recommend serving this dip with Wasa crackers.
Side Dishes
Kale and Quinoa Winter Salad with Pears and Pomegranate: This beautiful salad fulfills all seven Fx™ Pillars and it doesn’t skimp on the eye appeal!
Creamy Root Vegetable Bake: Your family will never know this upgraded casserole-style side dish is good for them.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad: Cauliflower, carrots, kale, quinoa, and ancient grains combine with a creamy sesame tahini dressing to create a colorful and satisfying side dish that can double as a main dish for plant-based eaters!
Balsamic Glazed Green Beans: A healthy swap for classic green bean casserole, this veggie dish features fresh green beans tossed with Heinen’s balsamic vinegar, honey, and raw nuts.
Wild Rice Pilaf: Reinvent the traditional rice pilaf by swapping white rice for wild rice: a whole grain that has up to three times more fiber and protein than white rice.
Herby Roasted Sunchoke Salad: Tender and creamy in texture, sunchokes, otherwise known as Jerusalem artichokes, taste like a cross between an artichoke and potato, making them a hearty base for a winter salad!
Desserts
Date-Sweetened Chocolate-Covered Caramel Bites: Mother Nature makes a natural caramel called dates. Their chewy texture and natural sweetness will satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way.
Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookies: This recipe is a great alternative to classic holiday snickerdoodles because it calls for cassava flour instead of processed wheat flour and is naturally sweetened with coconut sugar.
Healthy Buckeye Balls: These better-for-you buckeyes are simple to make and loaded with healthy fats from coconut oil and Heinen’s Fan Favorite fresh ground peanut butter.
No-Bake Coconut Cups: A quick blitz in the food processor and chill in the freezer is all it takes to bring these sweet treats to life.
Key Takeaway
It’s amazing how free life feels when you give yourself permission to be imperfect. And it’s entirely possible to be imperfect with your eating habits and still maintain good health. Just remember, your body keeps an accurate journal!
