The holiday season invites us to celebrate with food and togetherness, but for those with dietary restrictions like diabetes or gluten allergies, it can be a daunting time.

Crafting inclusive holiday meals ensures everyone can join the festivities and promotes wellness for the whole family. By embracing these dietary needs, we can explore delicious new recipes that satisfy both health and taste.

Chef Gail Downing, nutrition outreach program coordinator for Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well program, began her journey to nutrition education after seeing members of her family experiencing food sensitivities, obesity and diabetes-related diseases.

“My family is a traditional family with strong ties to Southeast food culture. However, we shifted our meals several years ago after my sister and aunt were diagnosed with cancer," said Downing. “We now have roasted or grilled vegetables, mushroom or cauliflower pot roast, only two casseroles instead of four or five and at least two or three green, non-starchy vegetables — typically a salad and some type of leafy green like kale, collards or turnip and mustard greens.”

Below are some helpful hints from Downing, as well as recipes in printable .PDFs at the end:

Innovative ingredient substitutions

The cornerstone of adapting holiday recipes is in smart ingredient substitutions. Downing highlights the significant advancements in gluten-free options, such as gluten-free flours and breads.

She encourages clients with Type 2 Diabetes or those with gluten sensitivity to creatively add vegetables into dishes to lower their carb count and gluten. She recommends adding yellow squash to cornbread dressing or making your cornbread with gluten-free or almond flour with pure cornmeal, which has less sodium than the mix.

For mashed potatoes, introducing cauliflower cuts carbs in half while boosting fiber. For those following a vegan diet, Downing recommends flaxseed eggs as a reliable egg substitute, which can be made by adding a tablespoon of ground flaxseed to 2-3 tablespoons of water for each egg, as well as using plant-based oils and cheeses.

These alternatives offer flexibility without sacrificing taste or texture.

Make veggies the star of the show

Focusing your meal on whole plant-based dishes will eliminate the need for substitutions.

“I love Mediterranean cuisine because it is simplistic in creation,” said Downing. “This cuisine uses single ingredients with lots of vegetables. It also minimizes the use of processed foods that often contain significant amounts of sodium, gluten, fat and sugar and encourages using fresh herbs and olive oil. Garnishing with fresh lemon, lime or orange wedges enhances the flavor and cuts down on the need for excessive salt to make your dish full of flavor.”

And don’t forget the power of the salad, which can come in many different forms with wholesome ingredients and a variety of healthy toppers on the side to make for a beautiful presentation.

Whole-roasted cauliflower or portobello mushroom caps with potatoes, onions and carrots can stand in for a pot roast and still be full of flavor.

Even desserts — often the highlight of a holiday meal — can shine with vegetables as the main attraction! Incorporating ingredients like carrots in a cake or zucchini in baked goods boosts fiber content and enhances moistness.

Preparing for a healthy holiday

There are misconceptions about cooking healthy meals for holidays and every day, but Downing encourages people to understand that it’s inexpensive and easy to make small changes to your recipes to increase their nutritional value or make them inclusive for those with sensitivities and dietary restrictions.

“You can prepare your pantry for healthier cooking by keeping staple items like canned green beans, brown rice, sodium-free vegetable stock, sauces and a high-quality olive or seed oil,” said Downing.

The chef and dietitian shared some of her go-to resources for modified holiday meals, citing the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association and Celiac Disease Foundation, as well as a personal favorite, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies Recipes.

Particularly in the South — where food plays such a significant role in our holiday gatherings — people worry about missing out on the fun and fellowship when faced with any dietary restrictions.

Downing provides encouragement when teaching sessions of Get Healthy, Live Well’s "Food As Medicine" class.

“Moderation is key,” she said. “Before diving into a food buffet, look at all the offerings and consider what you’ve already eaten that day. Ask yourself, ‘How will this affect my body? What are the ingredients? What is a reasonable portion? Are the potential negative effects worth a few seconds of joy?’”

As you embark on your holiday cooking journey, remember that inclusivity, creativity and nutrients can transform your meals into memorable flavor experiences for everyone. By embracing new recipes and innovative ingredient substitutions, you can craft delicious and nutritious dishes that cater to all dietary needs.

Review and download or print some of Downing’s favorite modified healthy holiday meals:

recipe - Green Bean Casserole-stovetop-no soup.pdf

recipe - GF-LC-LS Cornbread and Squash Dressing.pdf