10 Nutrient Packed Christmas Dinner Vegetables

Christmas dinner is one of the many highlights of Christmas day. However, if you load up on the wrong foods during the meal, your caloric intake can easily surpass the 1,000 calorie mark before you’ve even got to dessert and after dinner treats. The good news is that if you focus on the right foods, you can slash the calories in your festive meal without starving yourself. In this article I’m going to helping you do just that by listing 10 Nutrient Packed Christmas Dinner Vegetables.

Each one of these vegetables is tasty, good for you and low in calories. By filling your plate with these veggies this Christmas, you’ll not only lighten your Christmas meal but you’ll also provide your body with plenty of health boosting nutrients.

1) Broccoli

Broccoli is a green, refreshing vegetable that goes well with almost all Christmas roasts. It’s packed full of essential nutrients, contains just 31 calories per 100g and has numerous health benefits which include:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Preventing cancer.
– Supporting healthy digestion.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Broccoli:

2) Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are a nutrient packed vegetable that many people enjoy as part of their Christmas dinner every single year. In terms of health, there’s a lot to like with 100g serving of Brussels sprouts giving you all the benefits below at a cost of only 43 calories:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Boosting your heart.
– Supporting healthy digestion.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Brussels Sprouts:

3) Carrots

Carrots are a colourful, versatile vegetable that can be boiled, mashed, steamed and more. A 100g serving of this orange vegetable packs just 41 calories along with heaps of health boosting nutrients which give them the following benefits:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Boosting your heart.
– Preventing cancer.
– Supporting healthy vision and night vision.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Carrots:

4) Green Beans

Green beans are a crunchy, juicy vegetable and an excellent addition to any Christmas meal. They contain just 31 calories per 100g, are loaded with beneficial nutrients and can boost your health in numerous ways which include:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Boosting your heart.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Green Beans:

5) Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a filling, satisfying vegetable that contain an impressive 22 calories per 100g. When fried, grilled and steamed they make a perfect side dish to your main Christmas dinner. However, they can also be stuffed with a variety of ingredients to create a healthy Christmas dinner starter. In addition to this, they have a long list of health benefits which include:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Boosting your heart.
– Preventing cancer.
– Strengthening your immune system.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Mushrooms:

6) Onions

Onions are a crunchy, nutrient rich vegetable and a brilliant option for Christmas dinner. They taste great when fried in butter or extra virgin olive oil but can also be grilled and steamed. In addition to this, they pack just 40 calories per 100g and enhance your health in various ways which include:
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Boosting your bones and connective tissues.
– Boosting your heart.
– Preventing cancer.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Onions:

7) Parsnips

Parsnips are fantastic vegetable to have with your Christmas meal and can be enjoyed mashed, roasted or steamed. At 75 calories per 100g, they pack slightly more calories than the Christmas vegetables listed above but nutritionally they’re just as good. When it comes to health, parsnips have numerous benefits which include:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Activating enzymes in the body and helping it to function properly.
– Assisting in the formation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
– Assisting in the production of collagen (the main protein in animal connective tissues).
– Supporting healthy digestion.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Parsnips:

8) Peas

Peas are small, juicy, nutrient packed little pods that complement almost any food. They contain 81 calories per 100g and taste perfect when boiled or steamed. They’re also very good for you with some of their main health benefits including:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Boosting your heart.
– Regulating blood glucose levels (which is particularly beneficial for people who suffer from diabetes).
– Supporting healthy digestion.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Green Peas:

9) Sweetcorn

Sweetcorn is a bright, colourful vegetable that can be added to almost any festive meal and when boiled or steamed, it matches up very well with green peas. It does pack 365 calories per 100g but despite the relatively high calorie content, it still has many health benefits which include:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Regulating blood glucose levels (which is particularly beneficial for people who suffer from diabetes).
– Supporting healthy digestion.

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Green Peas:

10) Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a tasty, nutritious alternative to regular potatoes that can be easily incorporated into your Christmas meal. They’re extremely versatile and can be enjoyed boiled, grilled, mashed, roasted or steamed and contain just 90 calories per 100g. They are also much richer in nutrients than regular potatoes and because of this they have a range of health boosting properties which include:
– Acting as an antioxidant and protecting your body’s cells from harmful free radicals (dangerous by products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen related reactions).
– Acting as an anti-inflammatory (a substance which prevents unnecessary inflammation in the body).
– Regulating blood glucose levels (which is particularly beneficial for people who suffer from diabetes).

Key Nutrients In 100g Serving Of Sweet Potatoes:

Summary

While there’s nothing wrong with allowing yourself to indulge on Christmas day, making the effort to load up on these vegetables during the meal will reduce the total amount of calories you consume and ensure that your body has all the essential nutrients it needs. So by all means enjoy your Christmas turkey or whichever other festive roast you decide to go with but make sure your plate is piled high with nutritious vegetables too.

Now I want to hear from you guys. What are your favourite Christmas dinner vegetables? Are there any festive vegetables I’ve missed off the list? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Also, please Like, +1, Pin or Tweet this post, so that as many people as possible can make sure these nutrient packed vegetables are part of their Christmas dinner.