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Lightened-Up Hanukkah Recipes

Celebrate the Festival of Lights while staying on track—and without missing out on a single latke.
By Lee Anna Jackson
Published December 7, 2015

Staying on track toward your wellness goals during Hanukkah doesn't mean passing on your favorites. (Latkes…we're talking about latkes.) With a few slight tweaks, your meal can be big on nutrition and taste and lower in Points™. Get started by lightening up your go-to recipes with the below tips from Leslie Fink, a WW recipe editor and in-house nutritionist. Then check out our recipe roundup to put together a healthier holiday menu.

3 Ways to Lighten Up Your Hanukkah Dinner

  • Bake latkes or make them in the air fryer, instead of frying them, to cut saturated fat and bring down the Points value, suggests Fink.

    • When our team took to the test kitchen, they found that air-fried latkes and baked latkes had roughly 1 to 2 Points each, while pan-frying and deep-frying the latkes bumped the value up to roughly 3 to 5 Points.

  • Rethink condiments to cut Points without losing flavor. Instead of topping latkes with a dollop of sour cream, consider plain nonfat Greek yogurt or applesauce.
  • Substitute whole-wheat or whole-grain matzo meal when making the balls for matzo ball soup, says Fink. It adds more fiber and protein (read: fewer Points). And here's a wouldn’t-have-thought-of-that cooking hack: Adding a little seltzer to the mix can keep the matzo balls light and fluffy.

    • Mouthwatering Hanukkah Main Dishes

    Big on flavor, low in PersonalPoints

    Non-Starchy Veggie Sides

    They’ll win over guests, and—bonus!—eating them adds Points to your Budget.

    Lightened-Up Latkes

    Aka the best part of the meal, no?

    More Sides and Starters

    Because side dishes are life.

    Delicious Desserts

    End the holiday meal on a sweet note!