Healthy Dining Staff Pick: Mary’s Two Favorite Seasonal Recipes

Healthy stuffed acorn squash and recipe and whole grain pumpkin snickerdoodles recipe from registered dietitian Mary of Flavor RD.

If you think “dietitian-recommended” means boring and bland, you don’t know Healthy Dining’s dietitians! Our resident foodie RDs can whip up a mean potluck, and there always seem to be new test recipes and grocery finds out in the breakroom for sampling.

Are they loaded with healthy ingredients? Without a doubt.

Are they bland and boring? Anything but.

Take Mary, for example. This full-time Healthy Dining culinary RD also has her own scrumptiously beautiful blog over at FlavorRD.com. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we feature her recipes here on the blog and on our Pinterest boards whenever we can. We knew we could count on Mary for some tasty recipe recommendations for the holidays.

Here are a couple of her favorite seasonal choices featured on FlavorRD.com:

Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash – Embrace seasonal flavor and nutrition with this acorn squash recipe. Loaded with veggies and lean protein plus cool, creamy feta and fiery paprika and cayenne, this is a crowd-pleaser for every occasion.

Nutrition Information (per serving; recipe yields 4 servings)*:
310 calories, 9 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 32 g protein, 2.25 cup vegetables.

Whole-Grain Pumpkin Snickerdoodles – The fact that they taste decadent doesn’t mean that they aren’t also nutritious. These sweet treats include fiber-rich pumpkin and whole grains plus flavorful cinnamon, which some research indicates can help manage blood sugar.

Nutrition Information (per 1 cookie; recipe yields 18 cookies)*:
110 calories, 4.5 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 2 g protein.

*Recipe and nutrition information may vary by products (and/or brands) used.

What are your favorite seasonal recipes? Don’t forget to use HealthyDiningFinder.com to find the best choices when you’re away from home during the holidays. Whether you’re traveling, shopping or getting away for an easy family dinner, choices like these can help you stay on track throughout the holiday season.