Holiday Meal Ideas from Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday

I am reposting an oldie but goodie with holiday food ideas. If you need ideas for healthy holiday meal idea that are also gluten free as well as tasty this will get you started.

If you want the full recipes as well as more food and general celebration ideas my book Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday is available FREE (yes, I said FREE) today, tomorrow and Sunday, (November 19 – 21, 2021).

Let me tell you about my typical holiday meal.  The recipes in bold print are included in my Kindle book, Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday available from Amazon.com Kindle store.

1. I like to begin the meal with a salad like my Vegetable Salad or a light soup such as Simple Sweet Potato Soup to help keep from loading up on the less healthy food later in the meal.
2. I cook the turkey in a healthy way without adding extra fat by stuffing the cavity with butter or frying it.  I season the bird well and bake in the oven.  I do not stuff the bird but make my Corn Bead Dressing in a separate pan.
3. Homemade Cranberry Sauce is always on our holiday table. If you can boil water, you can do this.  You can control what goes into it by making it yourself, including what you use for a sweetener.
4. Lightly steamed fresh green beans with sliced almonds and a good squeeze of lemon juice make people forget “that casserole.”
5. I leave the “candy” out of the yams and serve fresh sweet potatoes.  There are many ways to do this.  First there is baked.  You can fancy them up a bit by making them “twice baked”  either sweet or savory by what you add to them.  You can mash them.  You can cook them with apples and spice them up with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Our favorite is my Orange Spice Sweet Potatoes.
6. Serve a healthy relish tray.  This was always included in the holiday meal when I was growing up and is still the best part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for me.  Include lots of raw fresh veggies and fruit with a few of your favorite pickles and olives if desired.  If you want dip, consider making one without cream cheese or sour cream.  This may be done using white beans or mashed cauliflower or try my Spicy Chickpea Dip.
7. Did someone say dessert?  Bob always asks for my Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake for special occasions, but I also have other dessert recipes for you to try.

Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday includes more information on celebrating a healthier holiday season with more recipes (including holiday goodies and an egg-free/dairy-free nog), ways of celebrating without food, tips for making a healthier holiday dessert and gluten-free baking, giving holiday food gifts, choosing a gluten-free turkey, ways to enjoy the holiday dinner with food restrictions and a couple of craft projects thrown in just for fun.  Don’t forget to buy your copy today from Amazon.com/Kindle.