Top 5 nutritious holiday favourites

It isn’t surprising that many of us associate the holidays with weight gain, as a lot of rich and unhealthy dishes are served around this time of year. But if you stick to these favourites, you can have a downright nutritious holiday.

Turkey is the main event at many holiday dinners, and that’s a good thing if you’re trying to stay healthy this season. A 100-gram serving of white turkey meat will provide you with 32-grams of protein. It also happens to be high in selenium and vitamin B6. So enjoy your turkey this holiday!

There aren’t always a lot of vegetables served at holiday dinners, but if veggies are on the table, there’s a good chance green beans will be among them, so scoop them up! There are just 31 calories in a 100-gram serving of green beans, and they’re also high in vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin K. If you’re cooking them yourself, opt for steaming rather than covering them in butter or oil. Now that’s a side dish you can feel good about eating!

Cranberries are considered a super-food as they are highly ranked amongst fruits and vegetables in terms of health-promoting antioxidants. So it’s lucky that it’s a tradition to enjoy them with your turkey over the holidays. Just keep in mind that many store-bought cranberry sauces can be loaded with sugar, so if you’re making the sauce yourself, opt for a low-calorie version.

Soup is the perfect healthy starter to your holiday meal. It’s warm and comforting, and it will fill you up with nutritious goodness before the richer dishes hit the table. To ensure your soup packs the most nutritious punch, steer clear of cream-based soups, and opt for soups made of pureed vegetables instead. If you’re cooking the holiday feast, butternut squash soup and carrot soup are delicious and nutritious options you and your guests will love!

Mashed sweet potatoes are a big holiday favourite. No surprise there — they’re delicious! Sweet potatoes also happen to be extremely high in vitamin A and vitamin C. Some cooks do add a fair amount of cream and sugar to mashed sweet potatoes, though, so if you’re looking to have a healthy holiday feast, ask before helping yourself to seconds.

More healthy recipes

Healthy appetizer: Vegetable antipasto
A recipe for quick, authentic hummus
A healthy holiday side: Nutty brussels sprouts