Festive Feasting: 4 healthy recipes for a diabetes-friendly holiday table

While the holidays are about so much more than eating, there’s no denying that food plays a major part in every gathering. For people with diabetes, navigating the table can be challenging and, at times, frustrating. Nobody likes to feel like they’re missing out on the good stuff.

Fortunately, there are options for crafting holiday staples that are full of flavor and won’t play games with your numbers. Here are just a few recipes you can use to plan a feast that will bring joy to your table and keep your sugar levels in check.

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Serves 6

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon sage

1 teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 6-7 pound turkey breast

1. Adjust oven rack to middle setting and preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix make a wet rub. 
3. Place turkey breast in roasting pan and apply rub evenly over both sides of the breast.
4. Bake for 1.5 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Cranberry-Mandarin Orange Relish

Serves 6

1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries

1 8-ounce can of mandarin oranges, drained

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoon sugar

1. Chop cranberries by hand or use food processor. 
2. Place in a medium-sized bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Stir to mix well and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld. 

Cauliflower Mash

Serves 6

2 medium head of fresh cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets

6 ounces of cream cheese

½ cup skim milk

Dash of black pepper

½ cup chopped chives or scallions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil water. 
2. Add cauliflower florets and boil until fork-tender, roughly 10 minutes.
3. Drain cauliflower and press out all extra water. Don’t worry about crushing it as you’ll be mashing it in the next step.
4. Return drained cauliflower to the pot and mash with potato masher. 
5. Stir in cream cheese, milk and black pepper.
6. Fold in chives or scallions and blend to distribute the greens evenly.

Apple Crisp

Serves 6

6-8 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3 cups frozen Hubbard squash drained

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 egg

1 tablespoon honey

½ cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Lightly coat an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Place prepared apples in an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
4. Drizzle apples with honey.
5. Place remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use a hand blender to whip to a soft, even consistency. This can also be done in a food processor.
6. Spread mixture over apples.
7. Bake for 35 minutes and serve warm.

For more diabetes-friendly holiday recipes, visit the Diabetes Food Hub sponsored by the American Diabetes Association.

Kristin Irace, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian in in-patient, renal dialysis, oncology, and cardiac rehab services at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.