1Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower
Mike Garten
Mashed potatoes are a staple at the holiday table, and replacing them entirely with cauliflower isn’t the same. Try the 50/50 approach instead: Use half white potatoes, half cauliflower. You’ll keep the classic texture and taste while sneaking in extra veggies and more volume.
Get the Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower recipe.
2Gluten-Free Chocolate Ganache Tart
mike garten
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3Green Beans with Orange and Almond Gremolata
Mike Garten
Most green bean casseroles call for heavily processed canned soup and fried onions, causing sodium and saturated fat counts to skyrocket. Instead, opt for this zesty green bean dish that’s packed with healthy fats thanks to almonds and olive oil.
Get the Green Beans with Orange and Almond Gremolata recipe.
4Vanilla Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Mike Garten
Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet (it’s in the name!), so there’s no need for loads of marshmallows and brown sugar. Just cut your spuds into wedges, add a hint of maple syrup and some fragrant vanilla bean and roast to crisp, caramelized perfection.
Get the Vanilla Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe.
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5Herb-Roasted Turkey
Mike Garten
Not only is traditional glazed ham super high in sugar, but its sodium count can also be off the charts due to brining. This roasted turkey ditches the sugar and much of the salt, and it’s even lower in fat. Tip: White meat is a bit lower in fat than dark meat, but we say choose what you like best.
Get the Herb-Roasted Turkey recipe.
6Mushroom and Chile-Garlic Green Beans
Mike Garten
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7Salad of the Seven Fishes
Mike Garten
The Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Italian-American celebration, typically calls for seven separate seafood dishes. This recipe combines all the best parts into one salad stuffed with scallops, mussels, shrimp and more good-for-you protein.
Get the Salad of the Seven Fishes recipe.
8Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette
Mike Garten
A bright, three-ingredient tahini dressing balances out sweet, caramelized butternut squash in this light dinner (or hearty side). When you inevitably want to make it again, feel free to sub in another variety — like acorn, delicata or pumpkin — to mix it up.
Get the Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette recipe.
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9Pork Tenderloin with Quinoa Pilaf 
Danielle Occhiogrosso Daly10Balsamic Roasted Onions
Mike Garten
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11Winter Squash and Spinach Lasagna 
Danielle Occhiogrosso12Escarole Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette 
Mike Garten
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13Yellow Split Pea Dip
Mike Garten
Eating more plant protein like legumes and split peas benefits both the environment and your health. But when you’re dipping crudité into this gorgeously vibrant dip, the only thing you’ll really be thinking about is going back for seconds.
Get the Yellow Split Pea Dip recipe.
14Orange-Ginger Roast Chicken with Fennel and Radicchio Salad
Mike Garten
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15Coriander-Maple Glazed Carrots
COLIN FAULKNER
Give the cinnamon a break and bust out the coriander for this one-pan side. A final toss in lime zest and maple syrup will ensure these root veggies taste anything but bland.
Get the Coriander-Maple Glazed Carrots recipe.
16Savory Pumpkin and Sage Soup
Quentin Bacon
The surprising secret to this creamy-looking soup? It has no cream — just pumpkin, low-sodium broth, and a plethora of good-for-you seasonings like ginger, nutmeg, and garlic. Topped with browned sage and shiitakes, this soup is going to make you glad that you grabbed a bowl instead of a cup.
Get the Savory Pumpkin and Sage Soup recipe.
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17Brussels Sprouts with Pepitas and Figs
Mike Garten
Roasted Brussels have never let us down, and this recipe is no exception. Add toasted, spiced pumpkin seeds and sweet Mission figs to your list of go-to mix-ins for this classic vegetable side.
Get the Brussels Sprouts with Pepitas and Figs recipe.
18Roasted Squash Panzanella
Beatriz da Costa
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19Crispy Beet and Mozzarella Salad
Mike Garten
Beets and cucumbers are great and all, but mozzarella is the real winner here. Roasting beets brings out their natural, earthy sweetness, while peppery radishes and arugula provide crunch and contrast. For a pretty plate like this one, try using a variety of different-colored beets.
Get the Crispy Beet and Mozzarella Salad recipe.
20Lentil Bolognese Spaghetti
Mike Garten
Celebrate Christmas with an Italian flair. Lighten things up by making your own “bolognese” sauce with lentils, chopped onion and carrot, button mushrooms and tomatoes as well as lean ground beef. By bulking up the sauce with hearty lentils and flavorful veggies, you gain nutrition without sacrificing one iota of flavor. Toasted pine nuts add a fun crunch.
Get the Lentil Bolognese Spaghetti recipe.
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She’s a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
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