13 Healthy Versions of Traditional Holiday Meals

All of the holiday spirit; none of the guilt!

The holiday season is full of scrumptious family dinners and big celebrations. It’s a time of great food, drinks, and fun. Still, the holidays don’t have to be a diet-wrecker! There’s an abundance of light and clean options for the health conscious. It’s okay to indulge a little on special occasions, but it’s also important to have clean options when you want to keep things healthy.

This is why we’ve put together a list of 13 Healthy Versions of Traditional Holiday Meals. Grab your cooking and baking utensils, and whip up these healthy holiday recipes with no guilt!

1. Slow Cooker Holiday Turkey Breast
Turkey is a must-have during the holiday season. It’s also surprisingly healthy! Turkey is a lean meat that’s low in fat and high in protein. This slow-cooker turkey uses a little olive oil and seasoning for a healthy holiday recipe the whole family will enjoy.

2. Everything Roasted Chicken
If you want something other than turkey, make this any-occasion chicken. To keep it light, we limit the amount of cooking oil and imbue the chicken with flavor using simple spices you likely already own. It proves that you don’t need sugary glazes or high-calorie sauces to cook a tasty chicken.

3. Roasted Sweet Potatoes Two Ways: Candied Maple or Savory & Herby
Healthy and flavorful, sweet potatoes are the perfect holiday side dish. This post teaches you two ways to make sweet potatoes using only clean ingredients. With 145 calories per serving, the savory herb sweet potatoes are a great light option.

4. Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
This slow-cooker cranberry sauce is made with only four ingredients. Sweetened with honey rather than processed sugar, it’s a cleaner alternative to store-bought cranberry sauce.

5. Holiday Vegetable Stuffing
This vegetable stuffing is lower than most online recipes in both calories and carbs. A 3/4 cup serving contains just over 150 calories, 14 grams of carbs, and 11 grams of heart-healthy fats from walnuts and pecans.

6. Pumpkin Hazelnut Chai Soup
This low-carb soup works as a meal or a side. The calories in the soup come from healthy fats in unsweetened coconut milk.

Ginger Spice Cookies

7. Ginger Spice Cookies
Made with whole wheat flour and coconut palm sugar, there are no refined ingredients here. And the delicious, sweet, spiciness of ginger and cinnamon makes each cookie’s flavor sing!

8. Slow Cooker Cranberry Poached Pears
Dessert doesn’t necessarily mean chocolate and caramel. These poached pears prove that fruit is a perfect dessert. They’re great for serving at dinner parties!

9. Happy Herbivore Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Lindsay S. Nixon, creator of the Happy Herbivore Blog, contributed this low-calorie vegan pumpkin pie. It’s a healthy, creative, and indulgent recipe that delivers nutrition and taste.

Slow Cooker Pecan Pie

10. Slow Cooker Pecan Pie
Although it’s still an indulgent dessert that should be enjoyed in moderation, this slow cooker pecan pie is significantly healthier than most other recipes. It contains around 200 calories per slice and only 9 grams of sugar. Most of the calories in this pie come from healthy fats in pecans. These healthy nut fats are believed to help you maintain a healthy weight and a strong heart.

11. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding
There’s no such thing as too much pumpkin spice during the holiday season. This recipe was based on an online bread pudding recipe and made healthier with clean ingredients. The result is a perfect holiday dessert that has about a third of the calories and carbs. Enjoy all the taste with none of the guilt!

12. Creamy Holiday Eggnog
Enjoy a lighter version of the classic holiday cocktail with this Skinny Ms. recipe. You can choose to have it with or without rum.

13. Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte
Making pumpkin spice lattes at home is cheaper and healthier than purchasing them. This recipe uses real pumpkin puree and is sweetened with unrefined sugar. With only 16 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein, it provides a healthy balance of macronutrients to leave you feeling satisfied.

For more yummy seasonal recipes check out these 25 clean-eating pumpkin spice recipes, or browse through our top 10 skinny holiday desserts.

For more healthy holiday recipe alternatives and easy exercises, like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and subscribe to our newsletter.

What holiday recipes do you want to get a healthy makeover? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you.

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Sofia Lopez

Sofia received her BA from Cornell University and her MFA from San Francisco State University. She creates workouts and fitness challenges. Her hobbies include running, hiking, and listening to audiobooks from the exercise bike.

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