Recipes

70 Healthy Christmas Recipes That Are as Festive as 'Jingle Bells'

How to lighten up the holidays—with less butter and more vegetables.
Brussels Sprouts With Cranberry Mostarda
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime

Dieting during the holidays makes you feel like a Grinch at the dinner table, but don't worry—there's a happy medium between putting yourself into a food coma with buttery carbs and eating like a rabbit. Prepare for New Year's resolutions early this year with healthy-ish Christmas recipes, many of which still allow you to indulge in a little bit of cheese.

  • Large fillet of salmon topped with an herby salsa verde.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    1/70

    Roasted Salmon With Citrus Salsa Verde

    Paprika gives smoky, spicy balance to bright citrus and herb flavors.

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  • Romaine lettuce and sliced Asian pear on a platter with tahini dressing and sesame seeds.
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kay Boytsova
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    Sesame Caesar Salad

    Swapping tahini for the mayonnaise that you typically see in classic Caesar salads keeps things creamy but adds nutty earthiness to the tangy mustard and funk from Parmesan cheese.

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  • Brussels Sprouts With Cranberry Mostarda
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    3/70

    Brussels Sprouts With Cranberry Mostarda

    Cranberry mostarda isn’t as sweet as cranberry sauce, it’s got some fire from mustard seeds—and you’ll want it on allll the roasted vegetables this winter.

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  • Charred Sweet Potatoes With Hot Honey Butter and Lime
    Photo by Marcus Nilsson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
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    Charred Sweet Potatoes With Hot Honey Butter and Lime

    When you mix hot sauce with butter, it turns into a spicy, creamy spread that’s perfect for melting atop burnished sweet potato halves, bringing them to life.

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  • Spiced Roast Pork with Fennel and Apple Salad at Tailor in Nashville TN
    Photo by Marcus Nilsson
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    Spiced Roast Pork With Fennel and Apple Salad

    Pork shoulder gets the Goa spice treatment, with star anise, fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, cloves, and more, courtesy of chef Vivek Surti of Tailor in Nashville.

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  • A bowl of vegetarian French onion soup topped with Gruyere toast.
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    6/70

    French-ish Onion Soup

    Onions, garlic, oil, wine, and salt are all it takes to make a rich vegan broth that still evokes the classic version.

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  • Chicory Caeser salad recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    9/70

    Chicory Caesar Salad

    This bright, zippy chicory salad gets dressed with a punchy anchovy-lemon vinaigrette and adds a serious pop of color to your table.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Salad Dish Meal and Vegetable
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
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    Scrunched Cabbage Salad With Grapefruit and Chiles

    Not just for slaw, cabbage is a snappy base that can handle lots of refreshing acidity—in this case from torn grapefruit and hot-and-sour chiles—without withering.

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  • Squash Parmesan recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
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    Butternut Squash Parmesan

    This twist on traditional eggplant Parmesan has fewer steps (no need to fry!) but no less satisfaction.

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  • This image may contain Food Dish Meal Platter and Lunch
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
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    Squash and Radicchio Salad With Pecans

    This squash-centric salad has an irresistible pecan dressing and hardy radicchio that refuses to wilt.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Lunch Plant Produce and Vegetable
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
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    Roasted Winter Squash with Kale Pipian

    This bright green style of mole is made by blending pumpkin seeds into a smooth paste (kind of like how pine nuts work in pesto). The oil in the seeds adds body and rich flavor to the sauce.

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  • This image may contain Food and Plant
    Photo by Gentl and Hyers, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Nina Lalli
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    Sweet Potatoes With Tahini Butter

    Steaming offers extreme speed and high hydration, which means that whatever you cook—from seasonal vegetables to proteins—will be done quickly and always moist.

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Alyse Whitney is the managing editor of Cravings by Chrissy Teigen, based in Los Angeles. She is a Korean-American adoptee who is currently tackling making homemade kimchi for the first time. She was formerly the senior food editor at Rachael Ray Every Day, an associate editor at Bon Appétit, and ... Read More
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