Baked Apples
Brussels Sprouts
You know green bean casserole? The holiday dish with cream of mushroom soup and those crunchy onions from a can? It's a calorie minefield. Unless your family or guests really, really love it, skip it this year and go for roasted Brussels sprouts. They're delicious, barely a calorie in sight and packed with good fiber and nutrition.
Cauliflower Mash
If you're trying to limit the carbs you eat, just a few bites of mashed potatoes will put you over your daily limit. But they're easy to replace with cauliflower, believe it or not. There are a ton of recipes for cauliflower mash online, and you'll be surprised at the number of guests who don't even know they're not potatoes.
Dark Hot Chocolate
If you're a member of Team Eggnog but are trying to keep it on the healthy side during the holidays, make a batch of antioxidant-rich (and just as decadent) hot dark chocolate. It's thick like eggnog but with fewer calories and less fat, since you don't need as much sugar. You can also try a red velvet cake hot chocolate or, if you're really cutting back, a sugar-free version.
Greek Yogurt
Sour cream or artichoke dips are standards at the holiday party snack table. But if you're looking for something lighter, try all of your dip recipes with Greek yogurt instead.
Grilled Fruit
If you love fruit pies but can't handle the sugar and carbs that come with each slice, try grilled fruit (topped with sweetened Greek yogurt). If you can't get through the snow to turn on the grill, then roast the fruit in an oven instead, or break out your underused grilling pan and get at it. Most fruits will work, including winter citrus. Keep in mind that super ripe fruit will be a little messy.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Canned cranberry sauce is a throwback holiday favorite, but just a half-inch slice of the stuff has 100 calories, most of it from sugar. While some folks will miss the gelatinous innards still shaped like the can, others will appreciate homemade cranberry sauce. Not only does it contain less sugar, it's also delicious—and filled with vitamin C and other antioxidants.
