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Wishing You a Happy and Healthy Holiday: The fun and benefits of healthy holiday recipes

  • Writer: Educated Choices Program
    Educated Choices Program
  • Nov 3
  • 6 min read

This blog features recipes found in ECP's "Healthy Holidays Guide."


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Have you made your list and checked it twice? 


Don't worry, this blog will help you with one list, perhaps the most important list of all, the notorious grocery list! In this season of giving, your friends at ECP are here to provide tasty, healthy, and environmentally considerate recipe swaps for all of your favorite holiday flavors. So whether you're the head chef of the dinner menu, or the friend of a friend who was trusted to bring one of the essential holiday sides, we’re here with the facts to back why the holidays are the best time to share delicious plant-forward dishes.


The Heart of the Holidays:


At the heart of the holiday spirit is enjoying warm seasonal flavors and gathering with friends and family around generous spreads of food. Yet, some common holiday favorites, like honey-roasted ham, can have a negative impact on your heart health. And have you heard of the “Christmas Holiday Effect”?


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In the United States, there is a 4.65% increase in cardiac deaths at the end of the year, with peaks occurring around Christmas and New Year’s. It's called the “Christmas Holiday Effect” (though it applies to all holidays at this time of year). A similar 2016 study in New Zealand found that 4.2% more people died from cardiac events during this time than at other points in the year. In Denmark, researchers reported that participants had 15% higher cholesterol levels in December and November than in May and June. 


And while the stress and changes in activity levels of the holidays may put additional strain on underlying heart health conditions, there is no changing the impact that diet has on cardiovascular health. 


Fortunately, there is an abundance of plant-based and whole foods that can prevent and even reverse the risk of many heart conditions.


Pro tip: For more information on maintaining heart health, check out ECP’s Heart Smart video!



Happy and Healthy Holiday Recipes


Now that you know the risks associated with the holidays and heart health,

let's take what you’ve learned and put it towards getting excited by dishes that look, taste, and feel great! And in attempts to get one less task off your holiday plate, we’ve curated the perfect menu that includes a side, main, and dessert. 


Side: Warm Kale Salad


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When the trees become bare and the skies become gray and cloudy, a source of color to the day is sure to stand out. With Alena Schowalter’s version of a warm kale salad, which features rich green kale, crunchy orange carrots, and bright pops of pomegranate red, this recipe is both eye-catching and built on heart-healthy and nutrient-dense ingredients:


  • Bulgar - a type of fiber-rich grain popular in Middle Eastern and North African cuisines

  • Kale -  a great source of antioxidants and vitamins C and K

  • Green Lentils - one serving is equivalent to about 16 grams of protein

  • Red Cabbage - provides vitamin K, which promotes blood clotting and contributes to bone health

  • Carrots - a seasonal fall crop that provides vitamin A, great for eye and immune health

  • Onion and Parsley - a surprising source of minerals like potassium 

  • Pomagranate - another tasty source of antioxidants 

  • Lemon or Balsamic Vinegar - A bright and balancing flavor to remind you of past summer days


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The best thing about this recipe is that it is also versatile and personalizable. Can’t find bulgar? Swap it out for quinoa. Can’t be bothered to deseed a pomegranate? Use dried cranberries! Want some more body to your sauce? Go with Tahini over lemon juice. Or if you wanted to take it a step further, you could also try and challenge yourself to use up any vegetables you have lying around your fridge. It’s an easy way to reduce food waste! During the holidays, household waste increases by about 25% according to the EPA.


The Main Course: Shepard's Pie


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Moving on to the main course of our menu. When it comes to satisfying your guests’ holiday palate or even your own, it is totally understandable if you’re craving some of those quintessential holiday flavors. These next two dishes have all the same creamy, savory, and comforting tastes of the classic dishes, Shepherd's Pie and Chicken Pot Pie. 


In FoodByMaria’s take on shepherd’s pie, Maria debunks the myth that flavor has to be sacrificed for health. In this Shepherd's Pie recipe, lentils are creatively substituted for ground beef and seasoned with all of the best aromatics: garlic, onion, basil, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Topped with a good helping of potatoes and plant butter, this recipe will leave you feeling full and satisfied.


In NoraCook’s adaptation of the beloved Chicken Pot Pie, turned Chickpea Pot Pie, not only is the recipe as delicious as the original it is modeled after, but it is a great option for those looking for a recipe with minimal prep and fuss. By choosing to make Chickpea Pot Pie from scratch, you avoid consuming the ultraprocessed chemicals typically found in premade frozen pot pies, and you avoid the extra time needed to prep and boil your chicken in traditional pot pies.


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By choosing chickpeas as your source of protein, you consume 14.5 grams of protein, 12.5 grams of fiber, 44.9 grams of carbohydrates, and 4.74 mg of iron (26% of your Daily Value), nutrients and minerals that promote overall health. Additionally, Chickpeas are one of the handful of plant-based proteins that are considered a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids considered the “building blocks” of our body’s structure and systems.



The Desert: Pecan Bar



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Of course, no holiday feast is complete without a tasty treat at the end! For our recommendation on the last bite of the night, we are swapping out the beloved pecan pie for a simple yet flavorful 6-ingredient pecan pie bar. While extremely satisfying for those with a sweet tooth, typical pecan pie recipes usually rely heavily on their high sugar content. A quick perusal of a few recipes, all typically feature at least one cup of corn syrup, usually in some combination of a half to a full cup of white or brown sugar. In the cup of corn syrup alone, there is 80 grams of added sugar, a whopping 160% of your daily value!


In Feasting On Fruit’s recipe, recipe creator Natalie capitalizes on the natural sweetness of medjool dates to drive the sweetness of this treat, avoiding having to rely on any refined sugars. Medjool dates, popular in many Middle Eastern and North African Diets, have gained virality in the western media’s trend of “health-ified” treats. With their smooth and slightly creamy texture, medjool dates are abundantly sweet- almost honey-like- and easy to add to any desserts or smoothies. 


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Nutritionally, dates can be a great alternative to cane sugar due to the added nutrients you consume when satisfying your sweet tooth. In one 3.5-ounce serving of dates, you’ll find 7 grams of fiber, 15% of your daily value requirements for potassium, and 13% of magnesium. Another added benefit of substituting dates for other forms of sweeteners, especially for those managing diabetic conditions, is that the fruit is considered to have a low glycemic index (GI), meaning it is less likely to cause a spike in blood sugar levels after consumption. 



Designing Your Own Menu


As we introduced at the beginning of this blog, the holiday season, while filled with joy and excitement, can also come with added stress on your mental and physical well-being. Here at ECP, our goal this holiday season is for you to have access to the recipes that’ll keep you hearty and healthy all season long. So, for the chefs who are enthusiastic about incorporating plant and health-forward choices in their menus but need a slightly slower transition, check out the following ingredient swaps made easy on page 10 of the Healthy Holidays guide.


And for the chefs in the kitchen who want to be more ambitious with their potluck contribution, we suggest recreating a holiday dish from other cultures around the world. You never know what other flavors and textures might inspire your next cooking journey!



However and with whomever you choose to share your holiday feast, we hope you leave room for seconds!


For more on holiday recipes that are budget-friendly, time savers, and protein and antioxidant-rich, check out our Healthy Holidays Food Guide


For more information, check these sources:


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