The Holiday Season is a tough time to keep things in check when it comes to eating. There are so many tempting appetizers at holiday parties, many of which are loaded with butter, cream and cheese. It’s easy to over indulge during the holiday season, with the thought of going on a diet in the new year.
But you can have your cake and eat it too! There are plenty of eye-popping healthy appetizers that are full of flavor, just lighter, so you can enjoy yourself this holiday season without overindulging. I found a nice selection of easy healthy appetizers that would be perfect for serving during the holiday season. I’ve included a few of my own along with a quick and healthy Orange Beet Dip recipe.
These appetizers are easy to make, and full of pizazz so you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. All of these appetizer recipes are lighter than the typical holiday fare, using whole ingredients, but no butter, cream or cheese. I’ve made suggestions next to a few of these recipes to lighten them up. Eating lighter and in moderation is the key during the holiday season.
Here’s a roundup of easy and healthy appetizer recipes to serve to your guests or just for noshing on:
Appetizers ~ Finger Foods
- Assorted Tartine {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
- Baked Polenta with Tomato-Pepper Sauce {Veganmania}
- Beluga Lentil Crostini {101 Cookbooks} (serve on whole grain toast)
- Chili Pea Puffs {Monica Bhides}
- Chili Spiced Almonds {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
- Coconut Oat Crusted Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Two Pomegranate Dipping Sauces {Family Fresh Cooking}
- Red Curry Meatballs with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
- Roasted Baby Eggplant with Caponata Sauce {Steamy Kitchen}
- Sweet Potato Latkes {Reluctant Veggie} (Instead of frying latkes, brush lightly with olive oil on both sides and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, turning latkes over at 10 minutes)
- Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms {What Would Cathy Eat}
- Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce {Two Peas and Their Pod}
- Zatar Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
Appetizers ~ Dips
- Baked Artichoke Dip {101 Cookbooks}
- Buffalo Chicken Dip {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
- Crab Dip {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
- Fresh crudite with Ranch Style Dressing {Kalyn’s Kitchen} in mini glassesor in tall glasses make a beautiful presentation, simple and elegant
- Fig Tapenade with Crackers {Elana’s Pantry}
- Chickpea Dip with Toasted Cumin and Pomegranate {Recipe Girl}
- Pomegranate Salsa served with baked tortilla chips {Lauren’s Latest}
- Smoky Black Bean Dip {Jeanette’s Healthy Living}
- White Bean and Artichoke Dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips {Kalyn’s Kitchen}
Orange Beet Dip
This dip is like eating an orange beet salad in one bite. You can find precooked baby beets in the fresh produce section.
I hope you try some of these healthy appetizer recipes this holiday season. Please share your favorite healthy holiday appetizer ideas or recipes by leaving a comment, or linking them below.
Jeanette, thanks so much for including my healthy chicken nuggets in your round up. I love this list you put together & will refer back to it often.
What a great round-up of festive appetizer recipes. Thanks for the include!
Marla: Love the oats you use to coat the chicken nuggets and the pomegranate sauces look festive and yummy!
Lori: Love the toasted cumin in your hummus, and pomegranate seeds on top makes this extra festive!
What a great round-up of healthy appetizer options. Thanks for including me with all these great blogs!
Hi Kalyn, I always enjoy your roundups, so I'm so glad I was able to come up with one that included you and so many others that I admire.
Jeanette what a fantastic roundup, I don't know where to start, everything sounds wonderful!
Thanks Grace, it was fun rounding up these healthy appetizers from fellow bloggers!
Beautiful presentation of the images of the mouthwatering recipes you found.love it!
Thanks Donna! Healthy foods are naturally beautiful – you can't go wrong with fresh ingredients!