For this week, I put together 12 healthy Christmas vegetable side dishes for you. I hope this list helps you plan out your Christmas menu early so you don’t get stressed out. I know you’re probably super busy this time of year, so it is my pleasure to help save you time in any way I can!
Oh, and if you still have Christmas parties to attend and need appetizer ideas, here’s a list of 9 healthy appetizers to check out.
Can you believe that we’re two weeks out from Christmas??? (😫 <– my face writing this because I’m still working on Christmas presents.)
I know you’re probably feeling the fire under your feet, too. Unless you’re extra-amazing and have presents, food, and events already planned out. (Teach me your skills, please!)
I actually like to give personalized gifts, but I feel as if it will be the end of me one day. I just love the look on my loved ones’ faces when they get something that’s made just for them. To me, there’s nothing better than that look!
I’m curious, what kind of gifts do you love to give? What kind do you love to receive? I’d love to learn a little bit about you, so leave a comment below for me!
Ok, back to the side dishes – sorry!
Below you will find 12 vegetable side dishes that are perfect for Christmas dinner. The side dishes are listed by the time needed to make them, with the least amount of time first. I also chose recipes that use fresh winter produce (squash, cranberries, sweet potatoes) to save you a little money.
But, before we get to those recipes, I’d like to say two things.
- If you don’t consider yourself a vegetable person or don’t like the vegetables in these recipes, I challenge you to try just one of these recipes. Just try one. It may be that you don’t like a vegetable because you haven’t cooked it in a way you like.
- If your Christmas meal is one with few vegetables, I challenge you to cook at least one more vegetable dish than you normally make. This is what striving to be healthy is – making healthy changes to your eating one healthy step at a time.
Now on to those healthy Christmas side dishes…
Healthy Christmas Vegetable Side Dishes
Cranberry Apple Slaw
Though it is not a common Christmas dish, this slaw recipe is great for Christmas lunch. It’s refreshing and light, and the apple and cranberry complement each other well. The estimated time for this dish is 15 minutes but plan for longer if you’re a slow produce chopper (like me).
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes
The Flavours of Kitchen’s Creamy Cranberry Apple Slaw
Holiday Salad Wreath
This salad combo is not highly rated, but the idea of turning your salad into a wreath is perfect for Christmas! Whatever salad you normally make for Christmas, form it into a wreath to add a little Christmas pizzaz. If you don’t normally make a salad, try this apple spinach salad, strawberry, feta, and spinach salad, or this simple parmesan arugula salad.
Total Prep Time: 20 minutes
Maple Balsamic Roasted Asparagus with Cranberries and Feta
The combination of maple, balsamic, cranberries, and feta is
Total Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes
Let’s Dish Recipes’ Maple Balsamic Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
If there is one vegetable that most people I talk to dislike, it’s Brussel sprouts. If you don’t like Brussel sprouts, did you first try them boiled? You’ve got to try them roasted – they turn out tasty and not mushy at all.
Total Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes
Sweet Designs’ Easy Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Lemon and Thyme Roasted Carrots
Roasted carrots are the best! This side dish is quick and easy to make, too. I don’t know anyone who won’t eat roasted carrots, so
Total Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes
The Whole Cook’s Lemon Thyme Roasted Carrots
Roasted Delicata Squash, Sweet Potato and Cranberry
Roasted vegetable dishes are the easiest to make, which makes this a great dish for a Christmas meal. That
Total Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes
Whole Kitchen Sink’s Roasted Delicata Squash
Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta
Another roasted dish, this one uses butternut squash instead of delicata squash. Delicata squash is similar to sweet potato, while butternut squash has a nutty and slightly sweeter flavor than delicata squash. Butternut squash is also in season this time of year, so that should save you a dollar or two.
Total Prep and Cook Time: 40 minutes
Peas and Crayons’ Honey Roasted Butternut Squash
Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with Orange, Mint and Kale
Can you tell this is the season of cranberries? Well if you don’t care for cranberries, then you can always take them out or replace them with dried cherries. But, I’d recommend trying this dish with cranberries first- you just might be surprised.
Total Prep and Cook Time: 45 minutes
Family Spice’s Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Kale and Cranberries
Similar to the dish above, this recipe combines cranberry quinoa with the sweet, nutty flavor of acorn squash. If you want to be a little more adventurous, you can make the quinoa in the above recipe to stuff the acorn squash with. If you do, you’ll have to let me know how it tastes!
Total Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour
31 Daily’s Stuffed Acorn Squash
Balsamic-Glazed Red Onions
An easy classic and easy-to-love vegetable, you can’t go wrong with these red onions! The only thing you will have to be careful of
Total Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Simply Recipes’ Balsamic Glazed Red Onions
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Though this dish is often on the Thanksgiving menu, sweet potatoes are a great dish for Christmas too. What makes this recipe different than other sweet potato casserole recipes is that it’s a healthier version that doesn’t have all that added sugar. (Sorry sugar and marshmallow lovers.)
Total Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Joy Food Sunshine’s Sweet Potato Casserole
Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
If you really want a challenge, here’s a great dish for you. This recipe requires you to stuff a butternut squash like you would a turkey or chicken. You can even change it up and make whatever stuffing you like. I made a cranberry quinoa stuffing the other day and it was so good!
Total Prep and Cook Time: 2 hours
It Doesn’t Taste like Chicken’s Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
Those are the best healthy Christmas vegetable side dishes that I could find! If you want more healthy holiday side dishes, check out these 21 healthy Thanksgiving Recipes for more ideas.
Did you find a side dish (or two) that you are going to try for Christmas? Do you have a favorite healthy side dish that I missed? Leave me a comment below!