I have something special for you this Christmas…
It’s what we’re all craving this time of year: More time.
Time to spend with your family. Time for a quiet moment sipping a peppermint mocha. Time to snuggle up on the couch with your partner and watch your favorite Christmas classics.
During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, what we really need is the space to breathe, relax, and actually enjoy the day we’ve been hustling and bustling for.
So, this Christmas, you get kitchen duty off. I’ve made a special Christmas menu for you, and here’s the real win—you won’t have to spend any time chopping, slicing, and sautéing on Christmas day. Plus, this menu is secretly macro-friendly (your family won’t even notice)!
It’s about time you get to be the one who plops down on the couch, eats a hot breakfast, and opens her presents with the rest of the family. And this year, there’ll be no food guilt, just a lot of gratitude.
⛄ The Meal-Prep Egg Casserole
Picture this. It’s Christmas morning. Are you slaving away in the kitchen, cooking up breakfast for the family? Absolutely not.
You’re in your favorite flannel pajamas, cupping a huge (guilt-free) eggnog latte in your biggest Christmas mug. Breakfast? Past you already took care of it.
Yesterday, you whipped together a big egg casserole that’s cheesy, filling, and full of sausage—everything an egg casserole should be. And, with this recipe, one slice contains 28 grams of protein and 291 calories. So you can sit back and start Christmas right.
⛄ The Time-Saver Turkey
What if I told you your Christmas turkey this year will take you about three minutes to prepare?
This is a miracle recipe, and the secret lies in the spatchcocking. Spatchcocking your turkey before cooking dramatically cuts down the cooking time, which means a quick-cook bird that’s less dried out when finished.
You can ask your butcher to spatchcock your turkey for you, or you can do it at home in about three minutes.
Plus, this recipe keeps the seasoning extremely simple. There’s no butter on this beautifully browned bird. Only salt and pepper. And everything can be prepped and seasoned the day before.
The result is a centerpiece main dish with gloriously crispy skin and juicy meat. And it only takes one hour to bake in the oven.
Still intimidated by cooking a whole turkey? I didn’t think so.
⛄ The 5 Minute Bone Broth Gravy
Delicious, velvety, made with nourishing, high-protein bone broth. And this one takes five minutes to whisk together.
I like to make mine the day before, then whisk in any drippings from the turkey for extra flavor. But if you want to spend less time in the kitchen during Christmas week, you can make this gravy weeks in advance, freeze it, and warm it on Christmas day.
⛄ The Macro-Friendly Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are smooth and creamy, just like the classic version. A half cup of Greek yogurt adds extra protein. Leaving the potato skins on bumps up the fiber.
Whip up a batch with just 10 minutes of prep time (plus 15 minutes of cook time).
To make ahead, simply store your cooled mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 3-4 days. To reheat, warm them in the microwave or bake in an oven-safe dish at 325°F for 35-40 minutes, adding a little more Greek yogurt or a splash of bone broth to restore creaminess.
⛄ The Simple Swap Stuffing
Simple swaps make all the difference, and this stuffing recipe proves it. It contains twice the protein found in traditional recipes just by swapping the bread for a healthier brand. I love to add a pound of sauteed turkey sausage for a bigger flavor and protein boost.
Make it the day before to free up time on Christmas Day. To reheat your stuffing without drying it out, transfer it to an oven-safe dish, add a splash of broth, cover it with foil, and bake at 350°F until warm. For a crisper top, remove the foil during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
⛄ The Cleaner Cranberry Sauce
You may feel nostalgic about a gelatinous, glistening cylinder of canned cranberry sauce wobbling on a plate, but a homemade version gives this staple a chance to be both healthy and classy.
Most canned options are a blend of cranberries and high fructose corn syrup. This recipe calls for only half a cup of honey. It’s tart, naturally sweet, and festive with a generous sprinkling of orange zest. Plus, it takes ten minutes to make and can be made up to two days in advance!
⛄ The Lighter Sweet Potato Casserole
This recipe wins a place on your Christmas dinner table for three reasons. One, it’s absolutely delicious (with a crunchy pecan oat streusel topping). Two, it’s not a calorie and sugar bomb, like most sweet potato casserole recipes. Three, you can make it the day before.
On Christmas Day, all you have to do is pop it in your oven for 25 minutes!
Here’s my personal tip: I use nonfat Greek yogurt instead of almond milk to boost the protein content.
⛄The Better-For-You Gingerbread Cookie
You’ll still get all the classic flavors of gingerbread, thanks to this recipe’s molasses and spices. But these cute and crunchy cookies pack in over 5 grams of protein per cookie and clock in at only 100 calories.
I sub in my favorite whey protein powder and use real, grass-fed butter instead of the recommended Country Crock Spread for a healthier cookie.
🎄 On Christmas Eve 🎄
Set up your entire Christmas menu in under 2 hours of prep time by following this list.
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- Bake sweet potatoes for your sweet potato casserole (about 3 minutes of prep). While they’re baking…
- Make your gingerbread dough (about 10 minutes total) and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to make your cookies.
- Make your gravy (about 5 minutes, total)
- Assemble your stuffing (about 15 minutes of prep)
- Assemble your egg casserole (about 25 minutes of prep)
- Remove cooked sweet potatoes from the oven, and lower your oven temperature to 350°F.
- Bake both your egg casserole and stuffing at 350°F for 40-50 minutes.
- Make your cranberry sauce (about 10 minutes, total)
- Assemble your sweet potato casserole (about 25 minutes of prep)
- Spatchcock your turkey (or have your butcher do it). Season with salt and pepper. Then, assemble your large pan with tin foil and a rack. (about 5 minutes of prep)
- Make your mashed potatoes (about 15 minutes of prep)
🎄 On Christmas Day 🎄
In the morning:
- Reheat your egg casserole in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven until warmed through.
About an hour and a half before dinner:
- Pull your cranberry sauce out of the fridge, and let it come to room temperature.
- Roast your turkey for about 1 hour, then let it rest out of the oven for about 15 minutes before serving.
- While your turkey is resting, bake your sweet potato casserole at 350°F for 25 minutes. Toss your stuffing in at the same time with a splash of broth and covered with foil to reheat.
- Reheat your gravy on the stove for 5 minutes or until warm.
When the cookie cravings call:
- Cut, bake, and decorate your gingerbread with the fam!
Want More Macro-Balanced Christmas Recipes?
This Christmas menu proves that weight loss doesn’t demand ditching all the foods you love and eating only egg whites and spinach leaves. There’s so much freedom within a healthy lifestyle–and with the right strategies and solid support, even the holidays can move you toward your goal. (Here are 21 more macro-friendly Christmas recipes to prove it!)
I can’t wait to teach you how easy it is to create a healthy lifestyle you love. Join the 150,000 people who’ve found food freedom and lost weight in LEAN.
