The MyPlate symbol reminds us to fill half our plates with fruits and vegetables at mealtime and holiday meals are no exception. Salads can be a delicious way to balance your plate and feature seasonal fruits and vegetables in a fun way.
For our family Christmas Eve celebration on Thursday, we are planning a simplified holiday meal to better fit our tight schedule of work, naps, church, dinner and gift-opening. We have decided the menu will be limited to soup, salad and fresh bread.
This way, my mother-in-law can sing in the church choir and we can all help prepare the meal ahead of time, with soups in slow-cookers and pre-assembled salads.
I am signed up to bring a pot of harvest chicken quinoa soup and a cranberry-citrus salad. I am excited to share nutritious options for our holiday meal and I am especially excited about featuring so many fruits and vegetables.
The soup recipe includes sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and kale, while the salad features romaine, locally-grown cranberries and fresh citrus. I have tested both recipes and they are both delicious. We shouldn't have any trouble filling half our plates with fruits and vegetables with a menu like this.
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After dinner, I am looking forward to watching the excitement and magic of Christmas through our sons' eyes.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy holiday week.
