The holidays can seem like a whirlwind of cooking, shopping, hosting, singing (carolers, I know you’re out there), decorating, the list goes on and on and on. But when we take a break from our daily routines and dive into the holiday season, we can be tempted to break up with our healthy habits. These recipes give us a little extra assistance in the health department and remind us that healthy and holiday can, in fact, go together.
Trainers Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott of Tone It Up are all about balancing social and physical health. These six holiday sides and bites are fun to make with the whole family but keep you on track with your health goals. If you love their approach to staying healthy and happy, check out their new wellness app, Studio Tone It Up, to make your daily fitness routine a family-and-friends affair.
1. Maple Pumpkin Donuts
A doughnut that’s actually full of protein and healthy fats? Frosting made of yogurt, maple, and honey? What is this, Christmas? This doughnut packs in the good stuff, a.k.a. protein powder, almond meal, pumpkin purée, and egg whites.
2. Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Soup
We secretly wish we could put everything in a slow cooker. This recipe pretty much makes itself, allowing the ingredients to simmer for six to eight hours. With the sweet taste of pumpkin, carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg in every bite, you’re gonna want to make extra so you can have some leftovers all week.
3. Green Bean Bake
While you may see the holidays as your get-out-of-greens ticket, this jazzed-up string bean bake puts them back on the menu. The sweet crunch of sauteéd onion, crunchy green beans, and melt-in-your-mouth mushrooms will soon be your side of choice, well beyond the holiday cheer.
4. Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Give butter a break and grab the garlic to add flavor to this fresh and healthy mashed potato recipe. Bake a garlic bulb to really bring out the taste; combine the crispy cloves with the cooked potatoes, olive oil, thyme; and then season to taste.
5. Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
When it comes to dessert, “sharing is caring” seems to go out the window #sorrynotsorry. But these individual apple crisps make it easy for the entire group to get their hands on. Plus, they are fun and easy to make and offer a healthier dessert full of spiced apples with a cinnamon-covered crispy oat topping.
6. Fruit-Infused Cranberry Sauce
Why does cranberry sauce seem to appear and disappear with the holidays? Personally, we could eat it on almost anything. With just seven ingredients and 10 minutes to spare, you can (and should, in our opinion) enjoy this superfood all year round.
