December 25, 2021

’Tis the season for holiday gatherings with festive meals and memories to be made with family and friends. You can keep it merry and bright by balancing out the holiday treats with fiber-filled fruit and vegetable side dishes at your holiday gatherings. A dietitian tip is to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies such as roasted Brussels sprouts with grapes (recipe below) and a citrus green salad. Next, fill a quarter of your plate with 3-4 ounces of lean meat or plant-based protein, and the last quarter of your plate with a whole grain such as stuffing or a dinner roll.

It can be intimidating to plan a holiday meal, especially if you have gifts to wrap, cards to send and parties to attend. Hy-Vee can help; check out our holiday cooking guides on hy-vee.com for recipes, more dietitian tips and ideas galore. Here are three produce picks sure to shine at your holiday meal:

• Brussels sprouts – are a cruciferous vegetable, known to contain plant compounds called phytochemicals that help prevent inflammation and disease. These little green veggies are a great source of fiber, vitamins C, B vitamins and vitamin K.
• Grapes – Known for their disease-preventing antioxidant, resveratrol, grapes are also rich in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K.
• Squash, butternut and acorn – packed with vitamins A and C and loaded with fiber. Fiber is essential for optimal digestion and keeps you full longer to avoid over-indulging.

Do you need some help incorporating more healthy habits into your life? Reach out to your Hy-Vee dietitian for a free 30-minute virtual Discovery Session, where we discover a little more about you and your nutrition goals, and you discover more about our programs and prices. We have simple, easy options to help empower you, such as our 10-week Begin program, a non-diet approach that covers important wellness topics each week and helps you set smart goals to set you up for success. Another option is our Healthy Habits program, a 4-week menu plan program, designed to guide you toward healthy habits with menus, recipes, shopping lists and a weekly check-in with your Hy-Vee dietitian. Don’t wait until the New Year to make some upgrades to your healthy lifestyle; do it now with the help of your Hy-Vee dietitians.

Roasted Sprouts with Grapes and Prosciutto
Serves 6

All You Need:
1½ lbs Brussels sprouts
1 tbsp Hy-Vee Select olive oil
2 cups seedless red or green grapes
1½ oz prosciutto
3 tbsp Hy-Vee slivered almonds, toasted
1 tbsp Hy-Vee Select balsamic glaze

All you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Trim and halve Brussels sprouts; toss with olive oil. Scatter Brussels sprouts and grapes in a rimmed baking pan.
3. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, stirring occasionally to brown the sprouts evenly.
4. In a large skillet, cook prosciutto over medium heat until crispy. Cool and coarsely chop. Add prosciutto to roasted Brussels sprouts and grapes. Stir in almonds and balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.