Healthy Holidays Recipes, Menus and Cooking Tips

Featured Recipes

Turkey & Stuffing for Two

You don't have to skip the traditional Thanksgiving dinner if it's just the two of you - and you also don't have to eat turkey for days. In fact, you may not want to wait for a special occasion to have this satisfying mini celebration.

» Turkey & Stuffing for Two

Crispy Potato Latkes

It is a holiday tradition to fry latkes in hot oil, but here shredded potato-and-onion pancakes get a coating of matzo crumbs, are pan-fried in a small amount of oil and finished in a hot oven for a few minutes. The golden-crisp results have only 4 grams of fat and 100 calories per serving—truly a miracle.

» Crispy Potato Latkes

Five-Spice Scallops

You could also serve the scallops over Asian salad greens dressed with sesame oil and rice vinegar for a simple dinner.

» Five-Spice Scallops

Raspberry-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies taste decadent, yet are made with ingredients that have healthful benefits: oats, almonds, fruit and chocolate. The thumbprints are versatile as well - use a different type of filling or different extracts to create a completely different cookie.

» Raspberry-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Pomegranate Cosmos

Make the base for these pomegranate cosmopolitans ahead of time and shake individual cocktails “to order.” Or for individual drinks, combine 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) each pomegranate juice and vodka, 4 teaspoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon Cointreau, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger juice and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

» Pomegranate Cosmos

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Canned evaporated milk—not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk—is a standard ingredient in many pumpkin pie recipes. Making the simple switch from evaporated whole milk to evaporated skim milk lowers the saturated fat in your pie, while maintaining its rich texture.

» Classic Pumpkin Pie

Maple-Cinnamon Applesauce

Turn fresh fall apples into delicious maple-and-cinnamon-spiked homemade applesauce with this easy recipe.

» Maple-Cinnamon Applesauce

Oh, the holiday season. It’s good spending time with family and friends but all of the festive food can make healthy eating a challenge. Americans put on half of our annual weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Though it’s only a pound or two, if it happens year after year, it can add up.

The EatingWell editors and Test Kitchen are here to help. We’ve compiled some of our favorite recipes and menus to help you have a happy, healthy holiday season. Try one of our lighter latke recipes this year. Experiment with baking with whole grains with some of our award-winning cookies. Spice up your annual New Year’s Eve cocktail party with some different appetizers and drinks. Chat with others on our bulletin boards and swap recipes, entertaining ideas and tips for making it though the holiday season.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about abundance, or, often, overabundance. Everyone wants to bring their favorite dish, or needs to have pumpkin and apple pie. With all the rich, heavy choices, there’s a distinct chance that Thanksgiving will turn out to be about overindulgence. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

The great American feast can include plenty of simple, delicious recipes that will...

Hanukkah

Potato latkes—the crispy golden pancakes that are symbolic of the Jewish festival of lights—are all about the oil. Unfortunately, most latke recipes today rely on what seems like an eight-day supply of oil (or trans-fat-laden shortening products) to achieve the desired taste and crispiness. But celebrating the Festival of Lights doesn’t have to raise your cholesterol.

Healthy Hanukkah Recipes and Menus

Potato latkes—the crispy golden pancakes that are symbolic of the Jewish festival of...

Christmas

It often happens when hosting a holiday get together that you spend more time getting the feast on the table and cleaning up than actually spending time with your loved ones—which is the whole reason you hosted Christmas anyway, right?

Healthy Christmas Recipes and Menus

It often happens when hosting a holiday get-together that you spend more time...

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a culinary festival as much as it is a cultural one. With healthy recipes featuring such traditional ingredients as sweet potatoes, lentils and okra, you can enjoy exploring the wonderfully diverse flavors of African cuisine.

Healthy Kwanzaa Recipes and Menus

Originating from African harvest festivals, Kwanzaa is a vibrant week-long holiday (...

New Year's Eve

Whether you’re hosting an open house with all of your friends or watching the ball drop with your sweetheart, tasty appetizers and fun—maybe fizzy—drinks are in order.

Healthy New Year's Eve Recipes and Menus

Whether you're hosting a full house with all of your friends or watching the ball...

Healthy Holiday Sides and Desserts Recipes

Jazz up your traditional holiday meal with our healthy holiday sides and desserts. Many of these recipes put a uniquely delicious twist on classic holiday dishes. And since they highlight fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains, they’ll help you and your family stay healthier this holiday season.

Healthy Holiday Sides and Desserts Recipes

Jazz up your traditional holiday meal with our healthy holiday sides and desserts....

Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes and Cooking Tips

Baking during the holidays can be one of the true joys of the season, and sharing and eating festive cookies is something we look forward to all year long.

Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes and Cooking Tips

Baking during the holidays can be one of the true joys of the season, and sharing...

Healthy Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen

At this time of year, you often hear that ’tis better to give than to receive. Forget the standard gift certificates and socks—why not whip up some holiday gifts from your kitchen to give to family and friends?

Healthy Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen

When it comes to gift giving, forget standard gift certificates and socks. For a...

Healthy Winter Beverage Recipes

Holiday gatherings and winter celebrations just aren’t complete without a special beverage. While hot chocolate, eggnog and punches often have lots of calories and not much else going for them, we’ve lightened up some of winter’s favorite beverages and created twists on others to pack an antioxidant punch.