3 Recipes for a Healthy Holiday Meal

By Nutritional Weight & Wellness Staff
December 9, 2014

Cookies, pie, potato bakes, festive drinks and casseroles are part of the holiday celebrations for many of us each year. But let’s face it, these traditional dishes and treats often leave us feeling crabby, give us tummy aches and heartburn, make our joints ache, and maybe even put us to sleep. It’s enough to make you think, “Bah humbug,” after it’s all said and done.

The good news is that there are delicious holiday dishes you can make this year to start some new food traditions with your friends and family. We checked in with our experts, the nutritionists at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, to see what they’re making this holiday season and came up with a balanced, yet delicious, holiday spread. Try these tasty recipes. They are guaranteed to please.

1. A satisfying main dish: Pulled Beef

By Lea Wetzell, MS, CNS, LN

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. chuck roast or stew meat
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ c. chicken or beef broth
• 1 Tbsp. of Minnesota Nice Spice – Big Easy Louisi Cajun
• ½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Set slow cooker on low.
2. Put meat in pot.
3. Add broth to pot.
4. Put onions and garlic on top of meat.
5. Add spices on top of meat and onions.
6. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours.
7. Take 2 forks and shred the meat.

Serving size is four to six ounces.

2. Bacon makes everything better: Bacon Brussels Sprouts

By Katie Vigesaa, RD, LD

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds of Brussels sprouts, quartered
• ½ pound of mushrooms (optional), chopped
• ½ of a large onion, diced
• 1 lb. bacon, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Lard, coconut oil, butter or olive oil to roast

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375. Place quartered Brussels sprouts, chopped onion and mushrooms onto a roasting pan.
2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the fat of your choice (lard, coconut oil butter or olive oil) to the Brussels sprouts mixture.
3. Roast mixture for approximately 30 minutes. Toss one to two times during cooking process to coat the mixture evenly with the fat.
4. While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, make the bacon on the stove. Chop the cooked bacon, saving the bacon grease.
5. Remove the Brussels sprouts mixture from the oven and add the chopped bacon and bacon grease to the Brussels mixture. Toss to evenly coat.
6. Place Brussels mixture back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until the Brussels are crispy and have a tan to dark brown crisp on the outer leaves.

Serving size is one cup.

3. Just the right amount of sweetness: Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole

By JoAnn Ridout, MPH, RD, LD

Ingredients:

• 4 c. hot mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 eggs
• ¼ c. cream or coconut milk

Topping:

• ¼ c. chopped pecans
• ¼ c. unsweetened coconut
• 2 Tbsp. coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

1. Mix the mashed sweet potatoes, butter and eggs together.
2. Beat in ¼ c. of cream or coconut milk.
3. Pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.
4. Combine all topping ingredients and place on top of the sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Serving size is ½ cup.

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We hope you enjoy the recipes!