Easy Gluten-free Holiday Grape Salad

Over the last few weeks I've been brainstorming a Christmas dinner menu.

Easy Gluten-free Holiday Grape Salad, Photo by Angela Tague

It's a given I'll make my decadent creamy mashed potatoes, a few green veggies, corn casserole, homemade rolls, something for my meat-eating guests, a lentil loaf, homemade candy, a few desserts and a tray of appetizers.

As I made out my list I realized one key food group was being sorely neglected.

Fruit!

On Thanksgiving cranberries get loads of attention in sauces, stuffing and chutneys. Apples make an appearance in pie and salads.

But what fruit is popular at Christmas? Sugar plums? Are those even a real thing?

So, this year I've decided I'll whip up my crowd pleasing simple grape salad. Its vibrant flavor is a refreshing contrast against the creamy, comforting potatoes and gravy. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to make. Delicious AND easy? Sign me up!

Healthy Holiday Grape Salad 

Photo by Angela Tague

Servings: 8-10 side dishes

• 2 heaping cups seedless red grapes, whole
• 2 heaping cups seedless green grapes, whole
• 1- 5.3 oz. carton of Chobani lemon blended Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Wash and pat dry both varieties of grapes. Place them in a pretty serving bowl. Stir in one carton of Chobani lemon blended Greek yogurt and sprinkle the walnuts atop the salad. Cover and chill the fruit until meal time, then enjoy!

Do you have a favorite healthy, whole foods fruit dish to serve at the holidays? Tell me about it in the comments below! I'm still working on the Christmas menu and might be persuaded to make a few more additions!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Thanking My Pet Chickens

When I was a kid growing up in rural Iowa, I made friends with everything. I named snakes found in the yard. Hand-raised cockatiels rode in my bike basket. And, I even took my pet chicken Punky sledding with me. I know, I know. Stop laughing.

Photo Credit: SXC

I really am an animal lover through and through.

One summer afternoon while eating dinner outside at the picnic table, something happened that unknowingly would reshape my future. As I threw half-eaten chicken bones down for the dogs to enjoy (I know not to do this now. Chicken bones splinter. Don't give them to your pets, OK?) some of the farm animals also gathered around.

One of my pet chickens grabbed a chicken bone and ran off, gobbling the meat off as fast as she could. I watched. And watched. And watched. Something there wasn't right. She was eating herself, well, one of her fallen relatives. That image still replays in my head sometimes.

Since that day, it was difficult to eat meat. Little by little it was less appetizing and after a few months of hesitation during meals, I was a vegetarian.

So, thank you pet chicken for guiding me to a more humane, healthy lifestyle. I've been meat-free for the past 16 years and have no desire to become a carnivore again. (I'm not here to preach about whether or not you should eat meat. Do what feels right for you.)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don't forget to eat your veggies!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living