Healthy Holiday Side Dishes

Guess what! I have great news, and no not just that it’s Friday, which is great news, although it is Friday the 13th, dun dun dunnnnnn. I am going to be doing a cooking class at Albany’s Whole Foods Market next week on Thursday, November 19th at 6pm EST and I would love for you to come on by (it’s free). Check out the event HERE and sign up so we know who is coming! You’ll learn how to make a few healthy holiday side dishes for your family, and get to taste them, bonus!

This time of year, the holidays are fast approaching. We all feel the pressure to get our work done, buy presents for loved ones and the most stressful of all get the holiday MENU planned so no one goes hungry. I think this is a great problem to have but then again I am a foodie and any opportunity I have to cook makes me a happy gal. The holidays are stressful enough, start planning NOW what you are going to have on your plate for Thanksgiving so that way you a) beat the crowds, b) don’t get left with second pickings at the grocery store and c) actually get to enjoy the holiday without being a frazzled mess.

We all normally decide on a turkey or ham for holidays as the main dish, as this is relatively easy to make and feeds a large group of people. As you can see from the picture at the top of this post I stuff my turkey with citrus fruits, onions and garlic, no stuffing needed. However, the hardest part to pick out and to coordinate is always all the side dishes. How many do you need? What will people enjoy? Will there be enough food?

One of my issues with side dishes is we tend to forget about what is healthy and go for what is convenient and what is decadent. Now, I’m ALL for decadent foods, esepecially when it comes to wine, chocolate and cheese (I will never turn these down *cough*cough*) but a double-wide and fried green bean casserole? You just ruined the green beans. And don’t even get me started on adding sugar and marshmallows and more sugar to sweet potatoes…

I understand that holidays are a time of celebration but it does not mean you have to waste all of the good you’ve done for your body over the past year. Why not still have your green beans BUT improve upon the recipe. Also, fill your plate one with a small amount of each side dish you want to try and then wait at least 10 minutes or so until you think about going back for more, chances are you are already STUFFED and do not need to go back for seconds. Hey! Then you’ll have leftovers for days to come. So, do yourself a favor, check out a few of these healthy side dishes, come to my cooking class and keep your health in check this holiday season, ok great!