Healthy holiday eating tips: By Alex Brown, Nutrition Intern

  1. Eat in moderation. Take a few moments to decide what you would enjoy eating the most and put a little bit of each on your plate.
  2. Eat slowly. Wait a few minutes before going for second servings.
  3. Stay active and make time for exercise. Go for a 20 minute walk after meals to help digestion.
  4. Eat more veggies. They add flavor, color, and nutrition to holiday recipes. They also help you feel fuller for longer.

Veggie inspired holiday dishes:

  • Make a homemade holiday soup using roasted veggies and spices, such as soup using roasted butternut squash, sweet potato or pumpkin.
  • Make a delicious veggie side dish, like roasted carrots and beets or roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut squash with pecans and cranberries.
  • Stuff a veggie, such as bell peppers stuffed with turkey, brown rice and spices like cumin.
  • Turn veggies into noodles, such as tomato and basil spaghetti squash or garlic, parmesan zucchini noodles.
  • Make a root veggie mash, such as a potato mash with celery, parsnip, and spices.

Make a veggie casserole, like green bean casserole with shallots.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

A delicious soup to go with a holiday dinner.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, cut in half vertically, seeds removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon ground   nutmeg
3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
1 to 2 tablespoon butter

To prepare:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Place squash on pan, drizzle olive oil on inside of squash.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Cook squash face down for 45 minutes.
  4. In soup pot, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shallot, salt.and garlic. Pour in blender.
  5.  Scoop squash flesh into blender and add all other ingredients. Blend until creamy.