Healthy Holiday Eats

Ready or not, the holidays are almost here! Until today, the weather had been pretty decent out. I think our lowest was in the upper 40s to low 50s, but last night we had what the weatherman called an “artic front” move in, which caused us to wake up this morning to temperatures in the 20s. While I know many of you live in northern states and this is normal…for those of us in the southern states, this is always a shock (yes…every year!).

With the cold weather here, I am getting even more excited about the upcoming holidays. However, I am not really looking forward to all of the fattening holiday foods that accompany the festivities. While I absolutely LOVE to snack on all of these holiday goodies, I detest the extra pounds that come with it – and I know I’m not the only one out there who feels this way.

Therefore, I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes for the holidays and the cold months that follow. The great thing about these recipes is that they taste great, aren’t that bad for you and still provide that “comfort” we all seek in our holiday foods!

Black Bean Vegetable Soup: When the cold weather rolls in, I’m the girl that enjoys curling up on the couch with a hot bowl of soup. And, while I enjoy my meats, there are just some times when I’m looking for something that’s vegetarian friendly. So, here it is…my favorite black bean vegetable soup, provided My Whole Food Life.

Pumpkin Bread: Another one of my weaknesses is bread. There’s very few things that can cause an instant craving in me than a loaf of bread, straight out of the oven. It causes instant mouthwatering. That may be a little TMI, but it’s the truth. And, when the holidays roll around, I love to make fresh homemade breads…especially homemade pumpkin bread, especially since my husband and kids like it so much too! Here is a great healthy homemade pumpkin bread recipe that I recently found. Enjoy!

Lasagna: While lasagna is good all the time, it is especially satisfying at the end of a long, cold day too. I’ve always made good lasagna, but didn’t realize how unhealthy my version was until I started working out and watching my calorie intake. It was crazy just how unhealthy it was! So, here is an awesome healthier lasagna recipe that still has all of the flavor, just less calories. I’ve made it a few times so I know just how good it is!

Pumpkin Pie: What are the holidays without some pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie is just something that must be present, at least at one holiday gathering! Again, while pumpkin pie is good, it just isn’t that healthy when made the traditional way (which is the way I was taught). So, for those of you who want to enjoy the pie without worrying about how bad it is for you, try this pumpkin pie recipe. The pie really is creamier than usual, giving it that “extra” little something that keeps you coming back for more!

I hope that you will give at least one of these recipes a try this year as you prepare for the holidays. They are all great recipes while being good for you!

What are some of your healthy holiday favorites?