Healthy Holiday Appetizers

 

 

It’s the time of year for festive get-togethers with friends, co-workers, and neighbors. And while there may be some sit-down dinners here and there, it’s mostly about mingling and munching on appetizers, isn’t it?

Whether you are planning a holiday party, heading to a pot-luck, or just want to cozy up with a tapas-style dinner in front of the fire, here are 9 healthy appetizers to try. Bonus: they all take under an hour to prepare. So get cooking!

Listed in order of quickest to longest time to prepare (for recipes that did not list a time, we gave it our best estimate based on the directions):

1. Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus 

• 10 minutes
• 60 calories for 2 spears (estimated, based on 16 spears total)
• Lower in calories and fat than bacon, prosciutto packs delicious flavor and pairs perfectly with asparagus in this classic appetizer. And with just two ingredients and ten minutes to prepare, could appetizer making get any simpler? We think not.

2. Pomegranate Goat Cheese Candied Pecan Arugula Salad

• 17 minutes
• 206 calories per serving (estimated based on 10 appetizer servings)
• Cranberries on salads are a classic. But if you want to step it up a bit, try pomegranate seeds instead. These nutrient-packed seeds are not only healthy and tasty, but they also add beautiful color making for quite the festive holiday presentation.

3. Rosemary Roasted Almonds

• 20 minutes
• 152 calories per serving (estimated based on 8 servings)
• Nuts are always an easy staple to put out a party. But store-bought mixed nuts? A little too boring. Fortunately, it’s super easy to roast your own nuts at home. And why not go for the crowd-pleasing, heart-pleasing almond. Here it is roasted with rosemary and sea salt for a winning holiday combination.

4. Baked Coconut Shrimp (Gluten Free)

• 30 minutes (our estimate)
• 234 calories (per 4 shrimp with 1 tablespoon sauce)
• Move over cocktail shrimp. We need something a little more dressed up for the holiday season. Enter coconut shrimp. And no, it isn’t deep fried and loaded with calories. This physician developed recipe shows you how to make baked coconut shrimp, a much healthier, but still delicious, version.

5. Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs 

• 30 minutes
• 120 calories for 2 meatballs (estimated based on 28 meatballs total)
• Meatballs tend to bit a hit at parties. For one, they are easy to eat, just stick a toothpick in and pop the whole thing into your mouth. And two, they are usually quite tasty. And as these meatballs prove, they can be made with lean turkey, while still being filled with flavor and juice!

6. Sweet Potato Quinoa Sushi with Spicy Mayo 

• 30 minutes
• 260 calories for 1 roll (4 rolls total)
• Vegan sushi! How fun is that? These bite-sized sweet potato quinoa sushi pieces will make eating healthy easier than you ever imagined. Packed with vitamins, fiber, and spice, this may be your new favorite sushi roll.

7. Roasted Butternut Squash Skewers

• 45 minutes (our estimate)
• 70 calories per skewer (based on 6 skewers total)
• If you are looking to amp up the veggie offferings at your party, then serve these butternut squash skewers. Roasted, bite-sized pieces of butternut squash on a stick. Yum. (It’s not just kids who are drawn to food on sticks you know! But that said, your kids will probably like these too.)

8. Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts 

• 50 minutes
• 136 calories for 2 pieces (estimated based on 24 pieces total)
• Leave the tortilla chips at the store and roast some sweet potato rounds instead. Here they are sprinkled with cinnamon, roasted, and then topped with creamy ricotta, sweet honey, and roasted walnuts for an incredible combination. The recipe author, Julia, refers to them as “just the dandiest little swanky root vegetable tacos.”

9. Skinny Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms 

• 50 minutes (our estimate)
• 35 calories for 1 mushroom (11 servings total)
• Stuffed mushrooms anyone? These little bites are so tasty, but usually loaded with calories in the form of cheese and butter, making them off limits for healthy eaters. Not in this case. This tasty, lightened up version contains just over 30 calories per mushroom, so dig in!

Let us know your favorite, healthy holiday appetite on Twitter or Facebook!