3 Healthy and Family Friendly Holiday Recipes

November 24, 2021

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The Holidays, what a wonderful time of year; full of festivities, entertaining, and being with those you love! 

On the flip side, the holiday season also brings a heavy focus on higher-calorie foods and drinks. 

This can make it difficult when trying to stick to a weight loss plan, but certainly not impossible! 

This is a great time to explore the wonderful recipes from our MRC kitchen. When entertaining, have some program-friendly additions to your table, or when invited to a holiday gathering offer to bring something that you know you can have on your menu. 

No one even has to know it’s “healthy”, that can be our little secret. Your family & friends will enjoy it, and you get to stay on track towards your weight loss goals! 

Here are three delicious (and healthy) recipes for you to whip up this holiday season!

Appetizer Recipe - Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 oz Frozen Artichokes, thawed and drained
• 8 oz Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp. Low-calorie Mayo (recipe for MRC Mayo- cookbook, pg 6)
• 3 pkg MRC Cream of Chicken Soup 
• 1 cup water

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix Cream of Chicken Soup packets with 1 cup of warm water, whisk in mayo, and blend until smooth (add more water if needed to create a thick soup consistency).
3. Place chopped spinach, artichoke, 4 oz cheese in a 9x9 baking dish, cover with soup mixture.
4. Cover tightly and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove cover, add remaining 4 oz cheese, and cook 5 minutes uncovered until cheese is melted and begins to brown. 

Makes 4 Servings

**Don’t have low-calorie mayo? Sub for 2 tbsp olive oil**

Side Dish Recipe- Dijon Glazed Green Beans

Ingredients: 

• 24 oz. Fresh Green Beans, ends trimmed
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tbsp. Grass-fed Butter
• 1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 oz Walnuts, toasted and chopped

Dijon Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice (approximately 1 good squeeze of half a lemon)
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 packet zero-calorie sweetener

Instructions: 

1. Toast your walnuts by putting them into a small skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl every couple of minutes until the nuts begin to brown and become fragrant; approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 
2. Whisk Dijon glaze ingredients in a small dish and set aside.
3. Place green beans in a pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the green beans and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
4. Place butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the green beans and toss and cook until heated through approximately 4 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, and toss green beans in the Dijon glaze.
6. Top with toasted walnuts and serve warm. 

Makes 3 Servings

Dessert Recipe - Cinnamon Baked Apples

Ingredients:

• 1 small Apple, cored & sliced
• ¼ tsp. Cinnamon
• ? tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. Grass-fed butter
• 1 drop maple extract
• 1 drop vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. In a small microwave-safe dish put butter into the microwave for 10-15 seconds until melted. 
2. Add vanilla and maple extract to melted butter
3. In a small baking dish pour butter mixture over apple slices until well coated.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
5. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F. or until apples are desired tenderness. 

Makes One Serving

This recipe does make only one serving, but you can easily increase the number of servings based on how many apples you wish to prepare. 

Find other recipes like these in your MRC Cookbook. Eat foods that taste great, and STILL LOSE WEIGHT this holiday season!