Today on News 4 Jacksonville, I am sharing healthier holiday recipes!
First up I have a nutritious and festive side dish: Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad with Grapes. Simply combine quinoa, cucumber, parsley, dill and mint, lemon olive oil dressing and halved red and green grapes. The great thing about fresh grapes is that they can be used in dishes of all kinds, and can be roasted, pickled, grilled, baked and more. California grapes are available in red, green and black with varying flavors, shapes, sizes and textures. Studies even suggest that grapes may help support a healthy immune system thanks to resveratrol and certain flavonoids they contain.
Next we have my take on the viral feta baked pasta from TikTok – – veggie hummus baked pasta. Start by roasting whatever veggies you have in the fridge in a baking dish and toss with olive oil.. then add hummus. Hummus can be used in lieu of higher-fat dressing such as Alfredo, while still providing creamy flavor along with plant protein and fiber.The Fresh Cravings hummus, is made with a short list of high quality whole food ingredient including Chilean extra virgin olive oil, chickpeas and tahini, you can find in the deli section at Walmart in a range of flavors including classic, roasted garlic, everything bagel and honey jalapeño. Bake for 30 min at 400 F, stir in your cooked pasta and serve.
For dessert, serve 5-ingredient pecan pie bars. Pecans are the lowest snack nut in net carbs per serving and one of the highest nuts in antioxidants per serving, even more than blueberries some studies suggest. I love these grab and go snack packs by Pecan Nation which you can find at Winn Dixie. You’ll bake the base first which is made with pecan and tapioca flour, coconut oil and maple syrup. Then you will combine the pecan nation maple pecan pieces with coconut oil and maple syrup, add that on top and bake again.
