Healthier Holiday Meals with Fruits and Vegetables

The holidays are such great family time, right? And usually the traditional holiday recipes are dusted off from last year, ingredients purchased and dishes made. Perhaps this year some of your holiday menus can focus on fruit and vegetable ingredients. What a great way to lead into the New Year. We know that that fruit and non-starchy vegetable intake is linked to healthy weighs, and may protect our blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and lower cancer risk. Here are some produce suggestions for a healthier holiday season.

Fruits for holiday dishes can be added to salads, baked or poached whole, or featured in desserts like crisps. Try these fruits in a variety of ways:

• berries
• apples, pears, plums
• oranges and grapefruit

Non-starchy vegetables can be the featured dish, a part of salads, oven-roasted or added to recipes to bump up flavor and fiber:

• greens - kale, spinach, Swiss chard, mustard
• broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, squash
• red and green cabbage, bed peppers, onions

Starchy vegetables, although higher in carbohydrate content, still provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

• white and sweet potatoes – mashed, oven-roasted, baked
• corn, green peas, and lima beans
• dried beans and peas

It does make sense that if fruits and non-starchy vegetables are dominant in the diet, weight might be healthier. Produce is high fiber, quite low in calories, and can keep glucose levels even throughout the day without spikes and drops, helping to control hunger. Unfortunately they tend to be an after-thought in our holiday menu planning.

Holiday produce ideas:

• Enjoy a berry sauce on multi-grain pancakes rather than syrup. In a saucepan gently heat frozen berries such as blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
• Incorporate seasonal fruits like red pears and purple plums into vegetables salads.
• Add chopped fruits and vegetables to bread, rice or barley stuffing; apples and squash work really well.
• Feature oven-roasted vegetables. For example, toss Brussels sprouts, red onions and pistachios with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roast for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees. So easy to do while the cooked turkey rests before carving. 

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About the Author

Rita Smith is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She's been working in the field of nutrition and disease prevention for more than 35 years and currently works at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va. Each week, Rita provides nutrition counseling to clients who have a variety of disorders or diseases including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroparesis and weight management. For these clients, food choices can help them manage their health problems.