It’s officially the middle of December and all we can think about over here at Pack Health HQ is the upcoming holiday season. There’s so much excitement headed our way! One of our favorite things during the holiday season is the food! It’s not always easy to stick to our healthy eating goals because of how distracting holiday food can be. With all the added butter, salt, sugar and so on. So, to help you out and make your holiday season a delicious and healthy experience, we rounded up a few of our favorite healthy, holiday sides that are perfect for the winter season! Check out the video below and click HERE to download the printable recipe cards.

01 Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms
• 2 tsp olive oil (divided)
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ¼ grated parmesan cheese
• Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop the stems very fine and place the mushrooms stem side up on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach to the hot pan and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan and allow to cool. Squeeze out any extra water and chop.
4. In the same pan, heat the remaining teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms stems and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl along with the spinach, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Stir to combine or work it together with your fingers.
5. Season the mushroom caps with salt. Divide the spinach mixture evenly amongst the mushrooms, rounding the tops. Spray the stuffed mushrooms lightly with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Eat warm.

Nutritional Facts: Recipe Yields 6 Servings
70 Calories | 3g fat | 149mg sodium | 7g carbohydrates | 2g sugar | 4g protein

02 Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots

Ingredients:

• 5 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
• 4 medium beets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbs butter
• 3 tbs pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F and move the rack to the middle position.
2. Cut the beets and carrots into pieces that are roughly the same size, and place the pieces on a large baking sheet.
3. Drizzle the olive oil onto the beets and carrots and add salt & pepper. Toss until they’re coated. Spread them out in an even layer.
4. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender-crisp (this will vary depending on how big the pieces are).
5. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and add the butter and maple syrup directly to the baking sheet. Let the butter melt then toss it again until everything is coated.
6. Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Facts: Recipe Yields 4 Servings
186 Calories | 13g fat | 107mg sodium | 18g carbohydrates | 14g sugar | 2g protein

03 Brussels Sprouts with Pears, Blue Cheese, and Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp walnuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 pears sliced and chopped
• Lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat walnuts in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper to taste. Without stirring, cook covered for about 7 minutes.
4. Uncover and add walnuts, pears, and lemon juice; stirring to reveal the caramelized brussels sprouts. Continue cooking for about 3 more minutes.
5. Take off of heat and add blue cheese crumbles. Serve warm.

Nutritional Facts: Recipe Yields 4 Servings
253 Calories | 15g fat | 264mg sodium | 24g carbohydrates | 8g sugar | 8g protein

04 Roasted Sweet Potatoes in Coconut Oil

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Salt
• Rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.
3. Place sweet potatoes in a bowl.
4. Melt coconut oil and pour it over the sweet potatoes.
5. Toss to coat and add salt and rosemary or cinnamon.
6. Spread the sweet potatoes over a rimmed baking sheet and place them in the oven.
7. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour or until they’re golden and slightly crispy.

Nutritional Facts: Recipe Yields 4 Servings
331 Calories | 7.5g fat | 488mg sodium | 63g carbohydrates | 1g sugar | 4g protein

05 Greens Beans with Walnuts and Balsamic

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 lb. green beans

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until the garlic is just barely showing signs of turning brown, 30 to 90 seconds.
2. Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl to stop cooking.
3. Meanwhile, add 1 to 2 inches of water to a large pot fitted with a steamer attachment, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add green beans to the steamer, and cook, covered until the beans are crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the green beans to the bowl. Add walnuts, balsamic and salt and toss to coat.

Nutritional Facts: Recipe Yields 6 Servings
125 Calories | 10g fat | 94mg sodium | 7g carbohydrates | 1g sugar | 3g protein

Download your recipe cards HERE!