Hold the stuffing for a healthier holiday meal? No way! A holiday dinner without the stuffing to accompany your turkey would be missing a serious amount of festiveness, don't you think? I LOVE stuffing, but being a nutritionist I must admit, I do sometimes hold off on the stuffing when it's not my own homemade version (but shhh -- don't tell anyone -- so far, no family members have noticed!) and save the calories for a small slice of pumpkin pie instead.

I have good news for stuffing lovers, though. I have created a recipe that won't sabotage your health goals, which means you won't fall into the category of a "new year's resolutioner," also known as NYR.

NYRs are people who eat anything and everything all through the holiday season and then when January rolls around and they find their pants are too tight, they rush for a quick fix ie. their panicked New Years' Resolution. Why not have your cake and eat it, too? And by that I mean you can have stuffing with your holiday dinner, just eat a healthier version of it. You definitely don't have to sacrifice taste, but you will say goodbye to empty calories.

A healthy stuffing recipe after the jump...

Healthy Stuffing Recipe (Yes, it is possible!)

3-4 mild turkey or chicken sausages (spicy if you like it with some punch)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 1/2 medium unpeeled apples, chopped (preferably tart ones, i.e. Granny Smith)
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries (rehydrate in a bowl of water so they get plump and juicy)
10 organic dried apricots, chopped (organic apricots are brown, not orange)
2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
6 cups whole wheat, brown rice flower or spelt bread, cubed (day old bread is best)
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock (make sure there is no MSG)
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Saute the sausages in a little olive oil over medium heat until browned (slightly cooked on the inside -- they will cook more in the oven, so don't over-cook them). Once slightly cooked and cooled, slice the sausages about a 1/4 of an inch thick and set aside. Melt butter in pan and saute onion, apples and celery until the apples are tender (not mushy). In a large bowl, combine the sausages and the sauteed mixture, then stir in cranberries, dried apricots and all the herbs. Add bread cubes and mix everything together. Gradually pour in broth and olive oil, stirring until everything is moist. If you find the mixture is too dry, you can add more stock. Season with salt and pepper.

Stuff that turkey!
You can either put the stuffing inside your turkey to cook or put the mixture into a 9x13 greased baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until the top is browned). Every oven varies a little, so watch it closely around 15 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.

A note on herbs...
I absolutely adore the taste of herbs, especially sage and parsley. So, I actually add about double the amount that I've mentioned in this recipe, but that's just my preference. Herbs add a memorable taste to stuffing and kick up the health value of the meal big time. Herbs are nutrient- and antioxidant-packed little plants.

Health benefits of herbs

• Anti-oxidants: The leaves and stems of many herb plants contain antioxidant enzymes, including SOD (superoxide dismutase, aka the superstar antioxidant) and peroxidase.
• Anti-inflammatory action: Rosmarinic acid (found in rosemary and sage) is easily absorbed and once inside the body, acts to reduce inflammatory responses by lowering inflammatory messaging molecules (leukotriene B4).
• Brain food: Research published in the June 2003 issue of Pharmacological Biochemical Behavior confirms that sage is an outstanding memory enhancer.
• Heart-healthy: One of the most important vitamins, folic acid is found in parsley. It has numerous roles in the body, with one of the most critical being in relation to cardiovascular health.

When you serve this stuffing at your next festive holiday dinner party, I'm fairly certain no one will have a clue just how healthy it is. In fact, you may even get some applause for this dish, and even the healthiest health nut at your party will want to indulge in a second helping. And If you're looking for a vitamin-rich cranberry sauce to go along with your festive feast, try this healthy recipe, too!

EnJOY!

Joy McCarthy, owner of Joyous Health, is a certified holistic nutritionist and health coach with a passion for inspiring people to eat well, live well and feel more joyous on a daily basis. Joy welcomes your questions or comments and although you may not receive a response, your submission will certainly be read and may be selected as a topic for a future column.