No need for food coloring; these nutritious dishes are the right shade for celebrating the holiday
Any holiday is a great excuse to try out a new recipe, and St. Patrick’s Day is no different. This traditional Christian feast day honors St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and celebrates Irish heritage and culture.
The color green plays a big role in the holiday, showing up on clothing and in food and drink. Skip the food coloring — it’ll probably be sold out anyway! — and cobble together some naturally green, nutritious meals to partake in the festivities.
Shake it up
Instead of grabbing a calorie-laden shake from a fast-food joint, make a green smoothie using your favorite ingredients. Just add kale for a boost of vitamins and minerals. You won’t even taste the green stuff. And toss in half an avocado to make it extra creamy and nutritious. Try this one from Bon Appétit.
The most important green meal of the day
Start your day out right with breakfast. You can make green eggs without the use of food coloring by whisking eggs with spinach just before scrambling. Blending the eggs beforehand makes them extra fluffy, too. Or try this green eggs and ham frittata from EatingWell.
Southern sides
St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect excuse to overload on green sides. Make a Southern favorite like collard greens a little healthier by simmering in vegetable or chicken broth instead of using bacon grease or ham. Try this vegetarian recipe from Food Network.
An Irish tradition
Make corned beef and cabbage a healthy choice by simmering in the slow cooker, keeping the sodium low and piling on the extra veggies. Try this alternative recipe from Cooking Light.
Need a sweet treat?
If you’re dying for dessert but want to skip the dye, concoct your own mint-flavored or green-tea ice cream or find a natural-foods version at the grocery store that skips the food coloring. Try this one from Vegetarian Times. (No ice-cream maker required!)
We have more recipes to add some green to your St. Patrick’s Day plate.
