5 Heart-Healthy Holiday Recipes (2024)

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are a great way to add a delicious and heart-healthy boost to your holiday meal.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again: time for everyone to head home for the holidays, visit with friends and family, and perhaps most importantly, indulge in a mouthwatering holiday feast. But for people concerned about maintaining their heart health, the holidays can pose a big challenge.

The average American holiday dinner can contain a whopping 3,000 calories, according to the Calorie Control Council (CCC), and that figure doesn’t even include beverages. Per the CCC, a couple glasses of wine contain 142 calories (each), a mug of hot cider contains 117 calories, and a cup of boozy eggnog packs 439 calories. And while those figures are based on an 8 ounce (oz) mug or a 7-oz glass of wine, most wine glasses and mugs actually hold much more than that — so it’s easy for that liquid calorie count to creep up on you.

What to Be Aware of When It Comes to Holiday Meals and Heart Health

Especially around the holidays when we’re prone to overindulging, it’s wise to assess the heart-health value of what’s on the dinner table. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women, with the disease accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths in the United States,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“When thinking aboutheart healthand the holidays, people who’ve hadheart failure or aheart attack should be very careful about their salt intake — especially if they’re older,” saysJo Ann Carson, PhD, RD, a retired professor of clinical nutrition in Dallas and past chair of theAmerican Heart Association’s nutrition committee. “Some people can end up in the hospital as a result of overindulging in salt.”

And for people without cardiovascular disease who want to remain healthy through the holidays, Everyday Health nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RD, says, “It’s important to find a balance where you can enjoy your favorites, but also find ways for them to be heart-healthy.” One way to ensure that you can maintain heart health while partaking in a holiday feast is to bring your own dish.

Luckily, heart-healthy dishes are easy to make, and will still live up to the high holiday meal standards. Here are our nutritionist-recommended recipes:

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Oven-Roasted Butternut Squash

If you’re looking for a healthy side dish, look no further than oven-roasted butternut squash. It’s a simple, heart-healthy option that offers a stress-freealternative for even the busiest of holiday chefs.

“Butternut squashis high in vitamin C, and is a good source of other nutrients,” Kennedy says. “If you’re making it yourself, you can control how much salt you’re adding to it. Salt is such a huge concern for people, especially if they havehigh blood pressure.”

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Vegan Spinach Dip

Spinach dip sounds healthy, but watch recipes loaded with ingredients high in fat, such as cheese and mayo. Thisspinach dip recipe is just as tasty, but swaps out high-fat foods for tofu, raw cashew nuts, vinegar, and nutritional yeast, which mimics the taste of the dinnertime staple and is a great source of B vitamins, selenium, and zinc, Kennedy says.

“This would be more satisfying and more filling than a traditional spinach dip, and is a healthier way of bringing you protein without all the fat,” she says. “Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, and the tofu, spinach, and onion are also good sources of fiber.”

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Cranberry-Blueberry Crisp

Everyone loves indulging in dessert, but that sugary icing on the proverbial cake might be cause for concern for people trying to keep their heart health in check. That’s why we dug up this dairy-free, gluten-free, andvegan-friendlyrecipe — who knew healthy dessert could be so tasty?

“I like this [recipe] because it’s a rich source of antioxidants, and the recipe as a whole is pretty low in added sugars,” Kennedy says.“You should really keepadded sugarsas low as possible. Sugar is something that people forget about when they're concerned about heart disease — you should always limit your risk.”

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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

If you’re going to cut back in any department, it can’t be mashed potatoes. Life just isn’t right without mashed potatoes. Potatoes on their own are actually quite healthy — 1 cup of mashed potato (prepared without milk or fat) is a good source of fiber and potassium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). But adding the milk, butter, and salt that makes this dish so delicious will also steer it in an unhealthy direction, as the American Heart Association notes that milk and butter contain saturated fats while consuming extra salt can cause hypertension. Never fear, here’s a heart-healthy alternative that will rival even your grandma’s mashed potatoes.

“I love that this is low in carbs,” Kennedy says. “By using cauliflower instead of potatoes, you’re still getting vitamins, minerals, and fiber.”

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Next to a golden, steaming turkey and a mountain of mashed potatoes smothered in gravy, you may be tempted to skip the greens, but cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber,per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Here’s a simple and delicious recipe that incorporates nutrient-rich greens to your holiday feast.

“Sweet potatoes have nice, rich flavor that tends to add sweetness naturally. This recipe also uses spices and vinegar, which won’t increase the overall salt content of the dish,” Kennedy says, adding that you can reduce sodium levels further by replacing garlic salt with garlic powder.

RELATED 9 Cozy Winter Comfort Foods With Heart-Healthy Benefits

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