8 Healthy Recipes for Your New Year’s Party

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle, so why wait until the New Year when you can start that healthy lifestyle now? Instead of serving junk food at your New Year’s Eve party, swap some of the dishes for healthier options instead. We put together some healthy snacks and drinks to serve at your party this year! They’re still delicious, but you won’t have to feel bad about pigging out on these foods.

Snacks

1. Hummus and Carrots
Recipe from CHOW

Rather than munching on chips and dip, as delicious as that may be, try switching it out for hummus and carrots instead. Hummus is rich in fiber and protein and contains several vitamins and minerals. Homemade hummus is also much better than store-bought hummus because it’s fresh and it’s super easy to make. In Provence, France, chickpeas represent money and good fortune because they resemble coins and expand when cooked. So maybe your hummus will bring you a fortune in 2014! Try this recipe and hope for the best.

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and smashed
• Juice of 1 medium lemon
• 1/4 cup roasted tahini
• 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• Salt
• Baby carrots

Directions:

1. Place beans, garlic, half of the lemon juice, tahini, water, olive oil and a big pinch of salt in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until smooth.
2. If the hummus is too thick, pulse in more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Taste, adding more salt and lemon juice as needed.
4. To serve, place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with carrots.

2. Green Salad with Pomegranate and Mandarin
Recipe from Food.com

We all know that greens of any kind are a healthy option, so if your New Year’s resolution is to be healthier, why not start right at the stroke of midnight? This citrusy salad is light and full of antioxidants. You could serve individual portions in martini glasses with mini cocktail forks for a fun and classy party vibe. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, torn in bite sized pieces
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup chopped mandarin oranges
• ½ cup light oil and vinegar dressing
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix all greens together in large salad bowl, adding more lettuce as needed.
2. Add pomegranate seeds and mandarin oranges.
3. Mix in enough oil and vinegar dressing to taste, drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
4. Toss lightly and enjoy!

3. Glitter Grapes
Recipe from Food.com

Not only is fruit healthy, it’s also said to be a lucky food for the New Year! Grapes, specifically, are said to bring happiness. In Spain, partiers pop 12 grapes—one at each stroke of midnight—that represent the 12 months of the year. It is said that sweet ones will lead to 12 months of prosperity! For a sweet treat and a year of happiness, try out this simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of green or red seedless grapes pulled from the stems and rinsed
• 1 package of sugar free gelatin mix (any flavor)

Directions:

1. Spread about ¼ of the gelatin mix on a plate. Rinse grapes and place a handful on the plate.
2. Shake the plate gently to coat the grapes in the gelatin and place the coated grapes into a bowl.
3. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients until all grapes are covered.
4. Place the bowl of grapes in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until the gelatin is set. The colder, the better!

4. Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Recipe from Skinnytaste

You have to have a sweet snack to bring in the New Year, so instead of cookies and cupcakes, serve chocolate-covered strawberries. Not only are these dipped strawberries tasty, but they’re also are easy and fun to make!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. dark semi-sweet chocolate
• 12 strawberries

Directions:

1. Rinse and completely dry the strawberries.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate on high for 30 seconds.
3. Stir and repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Do not overheat or the chocolate will become chunky and separated.
4. Dip strawberries and place on waxed paper to cool.
5. You can eat the strawberries right away or refrigerate them to give them a hard chocolate coating.

5. Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Recipe from Baltic Maid

Healthy cake?! Yes, cake can be healthy! This cake uses whole-wheat flour and zucchini. It also substitutes applesauce for oil. It sounds strange to put zucchini in cake, but it’s actually really delicious. In the Philippines, there’s a special emphasis on round items, like this cake, for the New Year because they are said to bring good luck. A cake that’s healthy, delicious and lucky? Sounds like a great dessert to us!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt and applesauce.
3. Sieve the flour and the cocoa powder into another bowl. Add baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom. Mix well.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry flour mixture and combine until the dry ingredients are mixed in.
5. Add grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix once more.
6. Pour the batter into a 9-inch round pan.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Drinks

6. Pomegranate Cranberry Champagne Cocktail 
Recipe from Food.com

Pomegranates are packed with powerful vitamins and antioxidants. This cocktail is not only healthy, but lucky as well! In Turkey, the seeds of a pomegranate are said to represent prosperity and health in the New Year, so you can enjoy this cocktail knowing you will prosper in 2014! It’ll also taste great paired with the pomegranate-mandarin salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles champagne, chilled
• 1 cup pomegranate cranberry juice, chilled
• ¼ cup triple sec
• 1 ½ cups pomegranate seeds

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients except the seeds into a pitcher.
2. Serve in champagne flutes.
3. Top with pomegranate seeds.

7. Fresh Fruit and Champagne

New Year’s Eve is nothing without champagne, right? Instead of mixing your drink with sugary juices, just add fruit! Fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries or pomegranates can liven up your drink and are healthy as well. You can add one or many different fruits to your drink and it’s bound to be amazing. Freeze your fruit the night before so that it can keep your drink cold as well!

8. Pear Essence Cosmopolitan
Recipe from YumSugar

This twist on a cosmo will make you feel like Carrie Bradshaw, so you can ring in the New Year feeling fabulous. Cocktails tend to be very sugary, but this one is low-cal, as the main ingredients are healthy fruits.

Ingredients:

• 2 Anjou pear slices
• Juice of 1/2 a pressed lime
• 1 oz. cranberry juice
• 1 1/2 oz. citrus vodka
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 3 cranberries, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a mixing glass, muddle pear slices, lime juice and cranberry juice.
2. Add vodka and triple sec.
3. Add ice to tin. Shake well.
4. Double-strain into glass, using the strainer over the shaker while pouring contents through a sieve placed over the glass.
5. Garnish with 3 cranberries on a cocktail pick.

You can still enjoy some tasty snacks this New Year’s Eve and not pig out on junk food. Try some of these out and have a Happy New Year!