5 recipes for healthier holiday dinners

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

One of the best parts about the holiday season is the food. During this time of year we tend to be a little more lenient when it comes to our dietary restrictions. However, our favorite soul food dishes are packed with sodium and sugar.

Eating soul food on a regular basis can lead to serious health problems like hypertension and diabetes. Luckily, you can avoid these issues by swapping out a few ingredients of your favorite dishes.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Baked macaroni and cheese is a staple of any major holiday gathering. But this dish is reserved for the OG’s in the kitchen. You mess this up, you might as well not even show up. This revised version of a soul food classic uses whole wheat noodles, low-fat cheese and milk, and less butter. 

Courtesy of Allrecipes

Here’s what you’ll need

• 1 (16 oz.) package whole wheat macaroni 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 3 cups low-fat (1%) milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 pinch paprika

Read Directions

Vegan Collard Greens 

If macaroni and cheese are the Michael Jordan of holiday meals, collard greens are Scottie Pippen – a necessary key player on the table. Traditionally, pork is used to cook greens, but try using smoked turkey or no meat at all. 

Courtesy of Healthier Steps

Here’s what you’ll need

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound collard greens (chopped)
• 1 pound turnip greens (chopped)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Read Instructions

Oven Fried Chicken

The sensation of biting into a juicy piece of well-seasoned fried chicken is indescribable. Thanks to the air fryer, you can achieve the same level of crispiness without the use of fatty grease. It’s a win-win situation. If you don’t have an air fryer, the oven works, too, by giving you fried chicken with the same crispiness but without the added fat.

Courtesy of Spruce Eats

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken parts, with or without skin
• 1/3 cup butter

Read Instructions

Vegan Candied Yams:

If you watched the Netflix documentary High on the Hog then you know the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, which means candied yams are really candied sweet potatoes. Nonetheless, they’re still a crowd favorite for any holiday meal. But let’s face it, the mountain of brown sugar and butter doesn’t make it the healthiest food choice. Consider using dairy-free butter and switching out brown sugar for coconut sugar. 

Courtesy of That Girl Cooks Healthy

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped (slices and quarters)
• ¼ cup of dairy free butter
• ½ cup of coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of himalayan pink salt
• ⅓ cup of water

Read Instructions

Skinny Banana Pudding

A scoop of banana pudding can turn anyone’s frown upside down. The vanilla pudding, crispy wafers, and fresh banana slices make it the perfect sweet treat to cap off a delicious meal. For this dairy-based dessert, you can use skim or almond milk instead of whole milk. You can even use reduced-fat vanilla wafers. With these subtle changes, you can maintain the signature taste and feel less guilty about having an extra helping. 

Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 cups fat-free (skim) milk
• 2 boxes (4-serving size each) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 4 containers (6 oz. each) Yoplait® Original yogurt French vanilla
• 1 container (8 oz.) Cool Whip fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 48 reduced-fat vanilla wafer cookies
• 6 small bananas, sliced
• Additional banana slices for garnish, if desired

Read Instructions

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!