If you and your family are enjoying a large family dinner on Christmas day, chances are you don’t want to fuss too much for dinner the night prior. A Movara family tradition offers up a lighter, pot luck style, family dinner that we recommend on the Eve of Christmas consisting of healthy soups and salads! 

Here we share our recipes for homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and light Peppermint Ice Cream Pie! 

Chicken Noodle Soup: 
300 Calories for 2 cups

Ingredients

**You can swap vegetables to your liking and availability! 

1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
3 carrots, diced 
3 celery stalks, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
2 small yellow squash, diced
9 cups water
1 cup skim milk (10 cups of liquid, you can put in less water and more milk if you wish)
10-12 low sodium crushed chicken bouillon cubes
2-3 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1 bag whole wheat eggs noodles
1/2 bag frozen peas

Directions: 

In a large pot, sauté celery and carrots in cooking spray until tender.  Add zucchini and squash for the last few minutes as they will take less time to cook than the other vegetables.  Add water, milk, bouillon, and cooked chicken and bring to a boil.  Add egg noodles and peas and cook until noodles are just tender (they will continue to cook as they sit in the hot liquid so be careful they don’t get mushy).  Leftovers are great the next day!

This soup is great served alongside a tossed green salad (romaine, mushrooms, carrots, avocado, tomatoes, and cucumbers).  You could make your own vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (my favorite) or find a nice light dressing.  Watch portion size on the dressing!

Peppermint Ice Cream Pie: 
250 Calories per 1/8th of pie

Ingredients

1 pre-made low fat chocolate pie crust
1/2 carton reduced fat, no sugar added Peppermint ice cream
1/2 carton Cool-whip
Chocolate sauce for drizzling, optional