{"id":625504,"date":"2025-12-11T03:59:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T03:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/625504\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T03:59:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T03:59:06","slug":"dig-into-8-delicious-healthy-holiday-recipes-for-classic-dishes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/625504\/","title":{"rendered":"Dig into 8 delicious healthy holiday recipes for classic dishes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HealthyHealthy holiday recipes transform any festive gathering \u2013 Photo courtesy of kajakiki \/ E+<\/p>\n

Part of the joy of winter holiday gatherings comes from family-favorite dishes, many of which might only appear on your table once a year. To keep the classics on the menu and enjoy the spread freely, swap in these healthy holiday recipes at your feast. Your family and friends will thank you for it.<\/p>\n

\"VeganVegan cornbread dressing is a highlight of a healthy holiday meal \u2013 Photo courtesy of Cinnamon Snail<\/a><\/p>\n

Vegan cornbread stuffing<\/p>\n

This vegan stuffing recipe intends to satisfy everyone at the holiday table. You bake it separately from the turkey for better food safety and to keep it vegan-friendly. Cranberries, alliums, nuts, and spices flavor the cornbread base, and Cinnamon Snail<\/a> offers suggestions for making it gluten-free and without nuts.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Best vegan cornbread stuffing \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"MaltMalt vinegar and sour cream give mashed potatoes a kettle chip flair \u2013 Photo courtesy of Byron Thomas<\/a><\/p>\n

Salt and vinegar mashed potatoes<\/p>\n

These mashed potatoes from Lord Byron\u2019s Kitchen<\/a> taste so delicious on their own that you don\u2019t have to pour on gravy \u2014 but don\u2019t let that stop you. Instead of heavy cream-based mashers, this recipe uses vinegar and sour cream for a lighter side dish. The combination keeps them smooth and creamy but imparts tangy undertones.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Salt and vinegar mashed potatoes \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"CrispyCrispy air-fryer latkes are a healthy holiday food everyone will enjoy \u2013 Photo courtesy of Jewish Food Hero<\/a><\/p>\n

Air-fryer potato latkes<\/p>\n

It’s traditional to fry Hanukkah latkes in oil, but as Jewish Food Hero<\/a> points out, you can enjoy the celebratory potato pancakes without that mess and smell. This healthy holiday recipe combines potatoes, eggs, and cornflakes, skipping the oil and flour or matzo meal that often make latkes dense and heavy.<\/p>\n

An air fryer keeps the potato latkes crisp and light. Serve them with honey-sweetened applesauce and harissa-infused sour cream or your favorite toppings.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Air-fryer potato latkes \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"MushroomMushroom gravy tastes so rich, you\u2019ll drizzle it on everything \u2013 Photo courtesy of Love & Lemons<\/a><\/p>\n

Mushroom gravy<\/p>\n

After watching family members struggle to make velvety, consistent gravy from meat drippings, I\u2019m convinced that everyone should switch to mushroom gravy. This recipe from Love & Lemons<\/a> loads up on savory mushrooms while minimizing fat and sodium.<\/p>\n

Tamari adds even more umami to the gravy. The mushrooms are saut\u00e9ed in extra-virgin olive oil to keep the gravy vegan, and it\u2019s easily adaptable to be gluten-free.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Mushroom gravy \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Zero-waste<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CranberryCranberry sauce can be made days in advance \u2013 Photo courtesy of Julie Laing \/ Twice as Tasty<\/a><\/p>\n

Orange-infused cranberry sauce<\/p>\n

About the easiest upgrade you can make to a holiday meal is homemade cranberry sauce. My version, which I share in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, has just five ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes. It sweetens fresh or frozen cranberries naturally, with orange juice and honey. I use leftovers as a base for cranberry salad dressing, explained on my Twice as Tasty<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Orange-infused cranberry sauce \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ThisThis casserole comes out of the oven irresistibly fresh and colorful \u2013 Photo courtesy of Ali Ebright \/ Gimme Some Oven<\/a><\/p>\n

Green bean casserole<\/p>\n

Green bean casserole is a classic holiday favorite, but it doesn\u2019t have to be a soggy side made from canned beans, condensed soup, and greasy fried onions from a can. Gimme Some Oven<\/a> recreates the creamy filling with blanched fresh green beans and from-scratch mushroom Alfredo sauce.<\/p>\n

The recipe even upgrades the oniony topping with briefly saut\u00e9ed red onion, toasted panko breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese, which turn golden and crispy when baked. Customize it as desired with the recipe\u2019s tips for gluten-free, vegan, and other variations.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Green bean casserole \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"PumpkinPumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin is one part of a healthy holiday meal \u2013 Photo courtesy of Jenn Davis \/ Two Cups Flour<\/a><\/p>\n

Pumpkin pie from scratch<\/p>\n

For the ultimate homemade holiday, make pumpkin pie with a scratch-made pie crust and fresh pumpkin puree. Two Cups Flour<\/a> gives you everything you need to show off this classic dessert, including details on choosing and roasting the pumpkin as well as crust prep.<\/p>\n

The pie filling includes cornmeal for thickness, and a blend of heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and sour cream replaces the frequently used canned milk.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Pumpkin pie from scratch \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Easy-peasy<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IngredientIngredient upgrades make these classic holiday cookies more wholesome \u2013 Photo courtesy of Cookie and Kate<\/a><\/p>\n

Healthier gingerbread cookies<\/p>\n

Round out a holiday Christmas meal with this wholesome version of gingerbread cookies from Cookie and Kate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The recipe replaces the standard all-purpose flour, butter, and brown sugar with whole-wheat pastry flour, coconut oil, and coconut sugar \u2014 in limited amounts to keep the cookies from tasting overly sweet. It leaves plenty of room for decorating options, from sparkling sugar to intensely lemony icing.<\/p>\n

Get the recipe:<\/strong> Healthier gingerbread cookies \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Healthy holiday recipes transform any festive gathering \u2013 Photo courtesy of kajakiki \/ E+ Part of the joy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":625505,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4318],"tags":[194193,13842,194198,194196,105,194189,194188,194190,194187,194192,194194,4434,194195,194197,16,15,194191],"class_list":{"0":"post-625504","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-air-fryer-potato-latkes","9":"tag-food-drink","10":"tag-gingerbread-cookies","11":"tag-green-bean-casserole-recipe","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-healthy-christmas-recipes","14":"tag-healthy-holiday-foods","15":"tag-healthy-holiday-meals","16":"tag-healthy-holiday-recipes","17":"tag-healthy-mashed-potatoes-recipe","18":"tag-mushroom-gravy","19":"tag-nutrition","20":"tag-orange-cranberry-sauce","21":"tag-pumpkin-pie-from-scratch","22":"tag-uk","23":"tag-united-kingdom","24":"tag-vegan-cornbread-stuffing"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115698946371381997","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/625505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}