A roundup of classic holiday sides and accompaniments gone HEALTHY! Wholesome, nutritious takes on the traditional, comfort-food holiday dishes that you know and love. With a few simple ingredient swaps you can enjoy all the foods you love without dealing with their heaviness!
Canadian Thanksgiving was last weekend. That holiday always is the marker for me that our own American Thanksgiving is right around the corner! That means MENU PLANNING TIME. At least for me it is!
I always love contributing a few dishes to my family’s table. It’s fun cooking with everyone and taking part in all the food fun, ya know? Plus, it’s a great feeling knowing your family is enjoying a meal together that YOU played a role in.
My signature cooking style is to take a traditional, heavy/rich recipe and making it healthier! Especially around the holidays!
Of course there’s nothing wrong with the classic recipes your family knows and loves, but if you can make a dish that’s good for you AND tastes like good, why not do it?!
I’ve made quite a few seasonal favorites over the years that are great accompanying your holiday meal! Recently, I took some time looking through the archives to find the best of the best Healthy Helper creations that provide healthy alternatives to your go-to holiday foods.
So whenever you start planning your holiday menu, be sure to include some of these delicious dishes!
Instead of cheese and crackers for an appetizer try…
Cranberry Bacon Date Cracker Stacks
Crunchy, chewy, sweet, and savory all at once! These cracker bites will be your new FAVORITE pre-feast snack.
Instead of fattening spinach-artichoke dip try…
Flavorful, high in protein, and so rich tasting! No dairy or added fats in site in this delicious dip recipe.
Instead of a traditional creamy soup to start the meal try…
HCLF Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup
Creamy, vegan soup that you’ll never guess was dairy-free! Cheesy, veggie-filled, and so comforting for the holidays!
Instead of buttermilk biscuits try…
Gluten-Free Ranch Potato Biscuits
Doughy, delightful biscuits that are soft and crumbly upon first bite! Top with your favorite spread or enjoy the zesty ranch flavor all on its own.
Instead of mashed potatoes try…
Same creamy taste and texture you love without any added butter or cream! Delicious smoky flavor and tons of plant-based protein, too.
Instead of sweet potato casserole try…
Fresh n’ Fruity Sweet Potato Hash
Sweet, salty, and full of fresh flavors! No need to load on the sugar, marshmallows, and syrup to bring out the natural deliciousness of sweet potatoes. Full of vitamin C and fiber too!
Now you’re all set for rounding out your holiday feast! Sides, soups, and app ideas galore. But that’s not all I have for you today! I’ve also gone to some of my favorite blogger friends and asked them for their go-to healthy holiday swaps. Here are some that made the list….
Portobella Mushroom Salad from Nikki of A View From Here
Gluten free, Vegetarian and Sugar Free. A healthy Holiday option that doesn’t lack in flavor. Roasted vegetables, gooey fresh Mozzarella, sweet ripe tomatoes, topped with a perfectly cooked Portabella Mushroom with the flavor of grilled steak. Could it get any better?
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup from Deborah of Confessions of a Mother Runner
A yummy soup brimming with all the delicious flavors and scents of fall. This vegan, gluten free starter is sure to please all of your holiday guests.
Pesto Cheese Blossom from Stefani of The Crafty Christian
A delectable grain free appetizer combining garlic, pesto, and sun dried tomatoes with cream cheese and provolone. A must have for all of your holiday get togethers, with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor.
Vegan Dressing from Celeste of The Whole Serving
Pretty amazing stuff and so yummy looking! This epic recipe roundup proves that the holidays can be healthy AND tasty. No need to sacrifice your love of traditional foods. With a easy swaps like the recipes above, your family won’t miss the classics and you may even develop some new holiday traditions with your ‘made over’ menu!
Do you plan your holiday menu a few weeks ahead of time?
What’s your favorite holiday side or appetizer?
Do you go for a ‘healthy holiday’ or a more ‘traditional’ feast?
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Linking up with: Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeOfTheWeek,#StrangeButGood,Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays,Tasty Tuesdays,Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays,Full Plate Thursday, JillConyers,Meatless Mondays!
56 responses to “Healthy Alternatives to Holiday Classics”
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[…] Fresh and Fruity Sweet Potato hash from Kaila @ Healthy Helper Blog is sure to please. Find the full recipe here. Spice up your sweet potatoes with this sweet & salty combo that’s gluten free, vegan and […]
wonder if I could trick my husband with your cherry bacon? Everything looks delicious and thanks for including my butternut squash soup
Kaila, what a great list of healthy holiday recipes! I’m making a shopping list as we speak. The GF Potato Ranch biscuits look so delicious! They are a must for the Holiday table, and the Sweet Potato Hash? I could eat that daily! All the recipes look great, I am pinning this to come back to again and again! Thanks!
Thanks Nikki! Glad you like all the recipes!
What a wonderful spread of delicious holiday goodies. The Sweet Potato Hash is my favorite. Love the combination of flavors and I love that it is of the healthier kind.
Let me know if you try it!! 🙂
Oh yum! That cranberry bacon date appetizer looks amazing! I’m always so impressed when flavors like that mix together. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Stef!!
What a FAB roundup!!! I need to start planning Thanksgiving, like yesterday! YUM!
Thanks Chelsey!! These recipes will certainly help you out!
These all do look yummy! 🙂
Thanks Em!
These all look so good, especially that dressing! Thanksgiving and holiday meals are just so much more fun when you try new/alternative dishes too instead of making the same thing year to year 🙂
I totally agree! Love trying new recipes and remaking old favorites during the holidays! Can’t wait to check out your caramel sauce today!!!
What a great roundup of dishes!! I’ve hosted Thanksgiving for several years in a row and have the menu and grocery list ready to go. I have to admit, I go all out for the day though! I buy more butter than I do all year. Haha!
LOVE the healthy twists on all these though! Really beautiful options.
Isn’t hosting a holiday meal so fun!? Lots of work, for sure, but so so rewarding! I just love cooking for others and enjoying the dishes together! 🙂
Our family is all about the feast over the holidays. It is kinda ridiculous how much food my Mum makes. We have almost every kind of meat you can imagine.
I’m so excited for Christmas!
Haha! The more meat the better! LOL I am not a huge meat eater myself so I am all about the sides and starters! I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS TOO!
These look yummy! I don’t want to wait around for Thanksgiving to try them. Lol. Especially that white bean puree and Portabella mushroom salad! Thanks for sharing your healthy round-up with us at Merry Monday this week!
Try them as soon as you want, lovely!!
Awesome post! I love the fact that you gave alternatives for holiday traditional dishes. I especially loved the cranberry bacon appetizer! I may try that one this Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much! That recipe is one of my holiday favorites for sure!!
[…] we can’t have a Holiday Dinner without Sweet Potatoes, can we? Kaila from Healthy Helper has a Sweet Potato Hash that will make your guests fall in love with this nutrient loaded […]
SO much deliciousness in 1 place!!! Pinned!
Thanks Chelsey!!!
thanks for this! I’m always looking for ways to make holiday dishes that are a little healthier 🙂
So welcome!! Glad you found it helpful!!
Great ideas! I’ll definitely be coming back to use some of these recipes for Thanksgiving – it’s always great to be healthier when you can, even if it’s just a little bit healthier. Thanks for sharing – I discovered your post on the 100 Happy Days Link Party 🙂
Thank you for stopping by!!
Glad I stumbled on this list. Been looking for healthy recipes for the holidays. With all the eating, I can substitue some recipes with these without worrying calories ha ha.
Thank you for stopping by! Glad you found this helpful!!
Hi Kaila,
Thanks for sharing this healthy and tasty recipes. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
Thank you!
What a great Roundup of flavorful recipes. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thanks Helen!!
Thanks for compiling all of these (and ahead of time; I LOVE to plan ahead :)). Can’t wait for a healthy Thanksgiving with my family!
Thanks Jenn! Enjoy!!!
Ah, so many delicious noms! I can’t wait to try that sweet potato hash + the butternut squash soup! :]!
Let me know how you like them!!
There are some great alternatives here! Sorry it took so long to visit – I’m a tad behind!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner link up!
No worries!! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my goodness, each and every one of these sounds amazing but, I’m all over the cheddar broccoli soup! Thanks for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday!
Thanks Angie! Let me know if you try the soup!
Great roundup Kaila! I’ll bookmark this for Thanksgiving =)
Thanks Kimmy!! Enjoy!!
These all look so delish, especially the vegan dressing! It’s such a bonus that they’re all healthy too! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Share The Wealth Sunday!
Thanks for stopping by!
[…] Healthy Helper […]
All these recipes look amazing! I really want to try those cranberry bacon date cracker stacks since I love sweet and salty combinations. Usually I try to make healthy alternatives to some side dishes, but then I usually still end up making a few traditional ones and desserts to please everyone. But no matter what my favorite part about thanksgiving is probably the turkey since we really only cook one once a year.
Thanks Patricia! Let me know if you try any of these!!
These were some gorgeous Thanksgiving recipes!! Thanks so much for linking up to #BestofBlogs this month! Pinning and tweeting for you.
Thanks Julie!
Roasted butternut squash soup has to be one of my favourite soups ever! Thanks for sharing with #FreeFromFridays
I LOVE that type of soup too!
Healthy recipe makeovers are the best! Those buttermilk biscuits looks great! Thank you! Glad to find you through #bestofblogs!
Thank you so much for stopping by!