It can be hard to find healthy holiday foods this time of year (and any other time, for that matter!), so I’ve rounded up a list of three healthy food ideas that have been tested by BigDotofHappiness.com’s own team members and declared delicious! Make these for your next Christmas gathering, or save them for a baby shower, birthday party or bridal shower! You’ll be happy to know that among the candy and cookies, there will be at least one healthy option available – and I’m sure your fellow guests will appreciate it, too!

Healthy Appetizer Idea: Spinach & Red Pepper Holiday Dip. By combining green spinach and red peppers into hummus, you’ll have a red and green snack that’s as tasty as it looks. Make this snack even healthier – and more themed – by baking your own holiday-shaped pita chips!

 Ingredients:

•  2 cloves of garlic
• One 15-ounce can of chickpeas (aka, garbanzo beans)
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 to 3/4 cup of roasted red peppers
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas
2. Pulse the garlic cloves in a food processor a few times.
3. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil to the food processor and process that mixture until it thickens.
4. Add the roasted red peppers and chopped spinach and pulse a few more times until the hummus becomes smooth and well-blended.
5. When your hummus is done, use a cookie cutter to cut star and tree shapes out of whole wheat pita pockets.
6. Toss the pita cut-outs with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until slightly crisp.

Healthy Side Dish Idea: Mock Mashed Potatoes. Made with cauliflower and white beans instead of potatoes, this dish is lower in calories and fat than regular mashed potatoes and contains an impressive amount of fiber and vitamins! The following recipe makes just over 6 cups:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium fresh leeks, freshly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces cauliflower florets
• 6 cups cooked white beans
• 1.5 cups veggie or chicken broth (preferably low-fat and low-sodium)
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced thinly

 Directions:

1. In a frying pan, simmer leeks and salt in oil for about 5 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. In the meantime, steam cauliflower in a stove top or microwave steamer, drain and let cool slightly.
3. Combine leeks, cauliflower and beans in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Add broth and chives, then puree again, scraping down sides as needed.

Healthy Holiday Cookie Idea: Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies. Soft and moist like cake but without many of the unhealthy ingredients, these gluten-free sugar cookies can be decorated or served without frosting as a healthier alternative to sugar-filled desserts.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup Imperial Sugar/Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 teaspoons lemon peel, grated
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/3 cups potato starch
• 1-1/3 cups garbanzo and fava flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coarse sugar

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs, applesauce, lemon peel and extract.
3. In a second bowl, combine the potato starch, garbanzo and fava flour, tapioca flour, salt, xanthan gum and baking soda.
4. Gradually add that mixture to your creamed bowl and mix well.
5. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls and roll in coarse sugar, or press flat for decorating later.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned.

For even more holiday food ideas, check out Big Dot of Happiness on Pinterest!