Healthy Holiday Swaps That Don’t Sacrifice Flavor

We don’t know about you, but every year when the holidays roll around, our willpower is put to the test. With the abundance of holiday parties, family gatherings and endless treats, it’s easy to let a healthy lifestyle fall by the wayside. But that doesn’t have to be the case! A few weeks of holiday celebrations don’t have to derail a year of hard work creating healthy habits.

Instead, we encourage you to focus on simple swaps and choices that will make your holidays healthier.

Here Are Our Top 5 Healthy Holiday Survival Tips: 

Eat Breakfast. It’s easy to over-indulge at parties if you’re starving from skipping meals earlier in the day. Start your day with a protein-rich, balanced breakfast like this Baked Cheddar Frittata.

Work in fresh produce whenever possible. These Apple Cheddar Crisps are a healthier way to satisfy your crunchy chip craving.

This Festive Cabot Cheddar Tree is fun to make and eat! It features tomatoes but we bet you could figure out a way to work in some other holiday-colored veggies!

Add protein to your appetizers. Don’t munch mindlessly, especially on appetizers that are just carbs. Add protein to give them a little staying power! Try these Mini Pork Cheddar Meatballs with Guacamole.

Serve this Cabot Habanero Cheddar Black Bean Dip with whole grain pita slices and fresh vegetables.

Look for healthy side dishes. When you sit down to dinner, focus on healthy sides to accompany your main meal. This Reduced Fat Stuffing is a great option for your holiday table.

These Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes give a classic favorite a protein boost.

Be smart with desserts. It’s fine to enjoy desserts over the holidays, but think about what you can do to make them a little bit healthier. Making a pie? Try this Greek Yogurt Pie Crust.

Replace your regular whipped cream with this Greek Yogurt Whipped Cream.

Need More Ideas?! Try These:

Gingered Apple Cheddar Slaw

Light and Classic Lasagna

Shrimp Focaccia

Greek Yogurt Marbled Chocolate Brownies

If you would like to learn more about Cabot Creamery Cooperative, get more delicious recipes, or take a virtual tour of some of our 1,200 farm families, click here. If you find a recipe that you love on our site, please rate and review it – we appreciate your feedback!

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Regan Jones is Cabot’s National Nutrition Communications Manager and the main voice behind @CabotRD on Twitter. Self-described as a “registered dietitian by education and food-lover by birth,” she writes for the Cabot Creamery Blog from her home in Georgia.