3 Healthy Holiday Recipes People With Breast Cancer Should Try
How to Cook It: Brussels Sprouts
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Stuffed Baked Acorn Squash
This high-fiber, low-fat recipe can serve as an entree, a side dish, or even a snack in between meals, Lamb says. Acorn squash contains loads of carotenoids, which not only gives the vegetable its vibrant orange color, but is also associated with lower breast cancer risk, a 2015 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports.
SERVES
2
CALORIES PER SERVING
596
AUTHOR
Jeanette LambPREP TIME
30 minCOOK TIME
40 minTOTAL TIME
1 hr 10 minIngredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and cut acorn squash in half. Scoop out all of the seeds (they can be roasted later for a snack).
Place both halves of the squash in a baking dish and brush with olive oil.
Roast squash until it’s softened, approximately 40 minutes. The roasting time will depend on the size of the squash. It should be tender but retain its shape.
While the acorn squash is roasting, prepare the filling: Dice the sausage, apple, onion, celery, and mushrooms into small, ¼ inch pieces.
Add 1 tsp olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low. Add onion and herbs and sauté until the onion begins to soften.
Add sausage and mushrooms, and turn up the heat to medium. Cook until the sausage starts to brown, and the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 3–4 minutes.
Add apple and celery to the skillet. Cook for 1–2 minutes more.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice and the prepared filling, and stir to combine. Season with pepper to taste.
When the squash is done roasting, spoon the prepared filling into each half of the squash, dividing evenly.
Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle each half with 1 tsp chopped nuts (optional).
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
calories
596total fat
20.5gsaturated fat
2.5gprotein
34.7gcarbohydrates
68.2gfiber
10.9gsugar
15.5gadded sugar
0gsodium
583mg
Brussels Sprouts With Balsamic Vinegar
This simple dish can be served on the side of any meal. Brussels sprouts contain a compound called isothiocyanate, which has been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer.
SERVES
4
CALORIES PER SERVING
150
AUTHOR
Jeanette LambPREP TIME
10 minCOOK TIME
30 minTOTAL TIME
40 minIngredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, oil, and honey until blended.
Add trimmed Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Let them sit in the marinade for about 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Place Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing half way through.
Remove from the oven when the edges begin to brown and crisp.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Serving size8 Brussels sprouts
calories
150total fat
0.9gsaturated fat
0.9gprotein
5.04gcarbohydrates
25.1gfiber
5.6gsugar
8.86gadded sugar
0gsodium
1mg
Root Vegetables Roasted
The variety of vegetables in this side dish contain a great source of fiber, and some research suggests that a high fiber diet can reduce your risk of cancer, according to 2020 research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which found that women who ate high amounts of fiber were eight percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who didn’t eat as much fiber. “You just wash them, put them in a roasting pan [with] the herbs, cover loosely with foil to cook it a little quicker, and then take that foil off and let it cook [to] the right tenderness,” she says.
SERVES
6
CALORIES PER SERVING
85
AUTHOR
Jeanette LambPREP TIME
30 minCOOK TIME
40 minTOTAL TIME
1 hr 10 minIngredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash all vegetables (even those you plan to peel).
Peel carrots, turnips, and beets, and cut them into large, 1-inch pieces.
Cut cauliflower and potato to a similar size as other vegetables, for even roasting.
Place all ingredients in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with ½ tbsp of water and stir to combine.
Spread ingredients on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast for 20–25 minutes, stir, then place back into the oven, and roast for another 20–25 minutes. The vegetables are done when they’re tender and the edges are brown.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Serving size5 oz
calories
85total fat
0.4gsaturated fat
0.08gprotein
2.6gcarbohydrates
18gfiber
5gsugar
6.5gadded sugar
0gsodium
83mg
Reyna Franco, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
Leona Vaughn
Author
Leona Vaughn was born and raised in Seattle, where she also completed her undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Washington (UW). During her time at UW, she worked as a freelance writer for her school newspaper, The Daily UW, where she wrote stories about mental health and wellness. Vaughn was also an editorial intern for The Seattle Globalist, a local news outlet, where she focused most of her writing on issues of race and diversity.
Toward the end of her undergraduate career, Vaughn tried her hand at political reporting and covered the legislative session in Olympia, Washington, where she continued to pursue mental health within the realm of politics.
At the end of 2020 — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — Vaughn moved to New York City to continue her education at Columbia University. She earned her master's degree in journalism in 2021.