For many families, the holiday season is about big, fancy meals, which can be challenging for people with diabetes. Here are our favorite delicious side dishes that the whole family can enjoy.
Even for folks who are not carefully watching what they eat, the holidays can prove challenging. But that’s also where these pick-your-battles recipes come in. These four dishes can cut back on the carb count and help things feel a little more balanced – without compromising on flavor.
Pro tip: These recipes all scale up easily, so if you’re feeding lots of people, just double the recipe. But most importantly, enjoy yourself – and some great food!
1. Crispy Lemon Brussels Sprouts
These are so good, honestly – so burnished, zippy, and perfectly bittersweet – that even without the cheese they’re (nearly) perfect. So if you’re looking to eliminate a single ingredient/step/rich thing from your holiday meal, the Parmesan is a fine thing to skip. If you are using, it does add a lovely salty crispness.
View the recipe here.
2. Classic Sage and Onion Stuffing
This is an excellent pan of a very classic style of stuffing. There are no oysters in it. No chorizo, truffles, or kale, either. That doesn't mean it's only pleasing to holiday traditionalists – anyone can enjoy this simple recipe. The key is to season it quite aggressively, since most low-carb bread seems to taste mainly of egg, which is not inherently bad, but you need lots of sage and onions to make your brain think stuffing instead of quiche.
View the recipe here.
3. Creamy Baked Butternut Squash
"And cheese" is not in the title, but rest assured, there is plenty of cheesy deliciousness in this gratin. I love to make a rich, filling vegetable side like this because it can do double duty as a main dish for the vegetarians. If lots of folks are going to eat mostly this (I wouldn't blame them if they did), then double the recipe.
View the recipe here.
4. Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce
The orange zest and cloves make this tangy, gorgeous cranberry sauce taste like the smell of a pomander – you know, one of those oranges stuck with cloves that your grandma may have made when you were small. And I mean that in a good way.
View the recipe here.
See other easy holiday recipes here:
Photo Credit: Catherine Newman
