The holidays are a wonderful time of the year; there’s cake, cookies, candy, and so many other delicious eats! There are brunches with friends, dinner with family, and it can seem harder than usual to fit in the foods you are aiming to eat to fuel your body. If you feel like you had a harder time this holiday season, or simply want to try out new meals that are fruit and vegetable-centric to help your body feel its best, this is a wonderful guide to turn to. Remember, sustainable changes can start small; maybe try one of these meals if you’re new to it!

This guide focuses on different meals from a variety of choices to help you enjoy more whole foods after the holidays!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives!

Focusing on Greens:

Source: Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale Apple Salad

These meals focus on greens such as kale, arugula, and spinach! If you’re a person that doesn’t like greens or has a hard time eating them, adding them into a smoothie could be a great alternative choice!

• Kale and Wild Rice Salad by Kristen Genton
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Kale Apple Salad by Dominique Ebra
• Arugula Pesto and Zucchini on Rye Toast by Marie Reginato
• Easy Spinach Balls by Ivy

Focusing on Fruits:

Source: Spiced Basmati Rice with Cauliflower and Pomegranate

If you’re looking for a way to eat more fruit, the easiest way is to choose fruits that are whole and to use them as a snack. This includes apples, bananas, berries, and oranges. These meals focus on how to incorporate fruits into your meals, both from include it alongside vegetables and adding into oatmeal.

• Wild Rice Pilaf With Butternut Squash, Cranberries, and Pecans by Cathy Elton
• Pomegranate Beet Citrus Smoothie With Mint and Ginger by Viktoria Radichkova
• Spiced Basmati Rice with Cauliflower and Pomegranate by America’s Test Kitchen
• Crunchy Blood Orange Breakfast Oatmeal with Dark Chocolate Chips by Teri Macovei

Winter Vegetable Meals:

Source: Creamy Pumpkin Spinach Soup

These meals focus on winter vegetables so that you can eat well and eat what’s in season. Grabbing fruits and vegetables that are in season means that you’re getting them when they’re the tastiest! This is the time to eat pumpkins, parsnips, squashes and root vegetables.

• Creamy Pumpkin Spinach Soup by Wendy Irene
• Spicy Maple Roasted Acorn Squash by Angelina Papanikolaou
• Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Burgers by Becky Cotter
• Parsnips With Rosemary ‘Butter’ and Walnuts by Viktoria Radichkova

Lighter Pasta Meals:

Source: Creamy Cauliflower Cashew Alfredo Rigatoni

Pasta is the perfect comforting meal! However, sometimes with the sauces and add-ins, the dish can get a bit heavy. If you’re in the mood for pasta, try out these lighter pasta meals. The best part is that you can put your own twist on these and add vegetables that you like!

• Creamy Cauliflower Cashew Alfredo Rigatoni by Wicked Healthy
• Linguine with Lemon Basil Cream Sauce by Wendy Irene
• Pasta alla Norma – Eggplant Tomato Pasta by Kristen Genton
• Simple Italian Pasta Salad by Planted and Picked

High Protein Meals:

Source: Quick High-Protein Vegetable Stir-Fry

These meals are high protein meals that are great for post holiday eating! You can add more vegetables to these or even put your own spin on them!

• Sticky Lemon Orange Tofu by Jeunesse Pouchet
• Orange Sesame 3-Bean Salad by Denise Perrault
• Quick High-Protein Vegetable Stir-Fry by Laura Grosch
• Peanut Butter Protein Bars by Tara Weir

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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