Holidays and gatherings can feel a bit intimidating when you’re trying to stick to a healthy eating plan. There’s one surefire way to ensure that you always have something nutritious to eat at holiday parties — bring it yourself!

When taking food to a party, always over do it. Instead of the customary one dish, bring three dishes. That way, there will be at least three things you can eat and you won’t go home hungry or overindulge in alcohol because you didn’t have enough to eat.

There’s one major plus to cooking healthy meals: they are simple. Take this 3-bean salad for example. You can make it in about ten minutes flat with just a handful of ingredients. We’ve adapted this recipe from The Everything Guide to the Mind Diet by Christy Ellingsworth and Murdoc Khaleghi, MD.

Ingredients

  • 1 can or 2 cups of black beans, drained

  • 1 can or 2 cups of chickpeas, drained

  • 2 cups edamame, steamed and drained

  • 1 cup chopped green onion

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 cup corn, steamed and drained

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, ensuring oil coats mixture.

  2. Place in refrigerator to chill.

  3. Serve with crackers or as is.

  4. Enjoy!