It wouldn’t be the holidays without a spread of delicious appetizers to stave off hunger pangs as guests wait for the main course.  You can keep it simple with shrimp and cocktail sauce or whole-wheat crackers with a low fat cheese.  If you want to whip something up in the kitchen then check out this Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Most holiday meals aren’t complete without some mouthwatering side dishes.  Mashed potatoes, a holiday classic, is often packed with calories and fat, but this dish doesn’t have to be taboo for the health conscious.  This recipe from The Eating Well Diet is one of my favorite sides for the holiday.

*  2 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into chunks

* 2 cloves garlic, peeled

* 2 teaspoons butter

* ¼ cup nonfat buttermilk

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs

* Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Add the garlic.  Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.  Drain then add butter and buttermilk and mash with potato masher to desired consistency.  Stir in fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper.

The main dish for your holiday dinner can be a healthy protein-packed dish if you avoid fatty meats and heavy sauces.  Pork makes  a delicious yet healthy entrée especially when paired with a sweet fruit to give it some extra flavor.  This Pear Stuffed Pork Loin recipe from Taste of Home certainly fits that description with its sweet stuffing and glaze.

It wouldn’t be a holiday meal if it wasn’t finished off with homemade cookies.  These delectable cookies, appropriately named “Lusciously Nutty Holiday Logs” from eatingwell.com, are a great way to complete your holiday meal.

With a little pre-planning, you can satisfy the most finicky guest and take pleasure in knowing that your holiday meal was a healthy one.  Happy Holidays.