Here are a few quick and easy ideas for healthy, festive foods to serve at holiday gatherings:
Festive Popcorn
3 servings, about 3 cups each
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ¼ cup popcorn kernels
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Salt to taste
Heat heavy pan or popcorn popper; add oil and 2-3 kernels of popcorn. Once kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn. If using a pan, shake the pan while popcorn is popping to keep it from sticking to pan.
Melt butter and mix with sugar and cinnamon.
When popcorn is done popping, pour into a brown paper bag, drizzle butter, cinnamon and sugar mixture over it and shake well to coat the popcorn.
100 calories, 15 gm carbohydrate and 3 gm fiber per serving.
Yogurt Dip for Veggies
5 servings, 2 tablespoons each
- ½ cup plain, nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Light Mayonnaise (or 2 teaspoons Real Mayonnaise)
- 1/8 teaspoon each: Dry Mustard, Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Dill Weed
Mix together and serve with raw vegetables.
28 calories and 1 gm carbohydrate per serving
Sliced Veggie plate
- ¼ large carrot, 1/8 medium cucumber, 5 cauliflower flowerets, ½ stalk celery, 1/8 bell pepper
60 calories, 12 gm carbohydrate and 5 gm fiber
Nuts in the Shell
It is difficult to overeat on nuts when you have to crack them and dig them out of the shell.
Walnuts: 1 nut about 25 calories and 1 gm carbohydrate
Almonds: 3 nuts 23 calories and 1 gm carbohydrate
How long does it take you to crack a nut and dig it out of the shell and then eat it, vs how long does it take to eat a handful of already shelled nuts????
Holiday Dessert: Baked Apple
1 serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Medium apple
- ½ teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon raisins
Cut core out of apple, and peel about a ½ inch of skin around top of apple. Rub top of apple and inside of cored part with butter. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins together and place in the core whole. Place in a single serving baking dish and cover with foil; bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the apple is tender when pierced with a fork.
120 calories, 27 gm carbohydrate and 4 gm fiber
Festive ways to Wet Your Whistle without Sugar
- Seltzer Water with slices of lemon or lime
- Seltzer Water with lemon or lime and 1-2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cranberry juice
- Water with apple slices and Cinnamon sticks
- Water with Lemon, Lime and Orange slices
- Herbal Teas, Iced OR Hot
For more great recipes, check out the American Diabetes Association’s magazine “Diabetes Forecast” http://www.diabetesforecast.org/
