Healthy Holiday Charcuterie Board

This healthy holiday charcuterie board is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. The holidays are a time to enjoy friends and family, as well as good food! And this board will be a hit!

What to Put on a Healthy Charcuterie Board

When building a board, this is the order of food I think in:

1. Cheese - depending on how many people are eating from the board, I'll include 2-3 cheeses. Aim for a variety of flavors and textures (creamy, tangy, hard, strong, etc.) and try to get low-fat when possible! I usually avoid fat-free cheeses as they aren't as delicious. I like to have at least one creamy and one harder cheese.
2. Meat - I like to use 2-3 meats for a charcuterie board. Depending on which meats you choose, they can be pretty high in saturated fat. I go to the deli and look for leaner meats like turkey pepperoni, turkey deli meat, and ham deli meat. But I sometimes include fattier meats like prosciutto, salami, and mortadella! I recommend having a mix of leaner and fattier.
3. Produce - think about what's in season for this one! In-season produce will be more nutrient-dense because it's fresher, as well as more cost effective. You can pick certain colors of produce if you have a theme or just think about what you and your guests love! I include at least 3 different fruits and/or veggies. Don't be afraid to include veggies! Carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, and celery are all good examples of veggies that go well on a charcuterie board!
4. Dips and jams - since these can take up a bit of room on the board, I like to plan these next. Including a dip or two instantly elevates your board and adds so much flavor! One or two dips, depending on the size of your board, is usually a good place to start. Think hummus, feta dip, guacamole, jams and jellies, sweeter yogurt dip, savory salsas, Greek yogurt Ranch dip, and/or fruit salsas here! If you go for a sweet option here, I always look for low-sugar or no-sugar-added!
5. Salty extras - this includes pickles, olives, candied jalapenos, etc.! There are so many types of olives, pickles, and candied peppers and these add so much flavor to the board. I like to have 2-3 options in this category! Pro tip: Zach makes his own candied jalapenos by making this spicy simple syrup and saving the jalapenos!
6. Bread & crackers - these are the vehicles to eat most of the other ingredients on the board! I like to include at least one bread and one cracker so that all textures are included. A simple baguette is a classic option but any bread you find in the bakery will work! Just be sure to cut it into bite-sized pieces so it's easy for people to eat. When it comes to crackers, you can get creative! Think about flavors and textures that will go with the board - you could do a rosemary cracker or fig and vanilla crisp; whatever you think sounds good and you're guests will like!
7. Nuts - this is another broad category that can instantly elevate your board. Classic salted nuts work great but I like to get a little crazy and look for flavored options like truffle sea salt almonds or honey roasted cashews.
8. Sweet extras - we have to balance out the salty extras with some sweet! These could be anything from candied nuts to chocolate covered dried fruit, or even little cookies! Whatever goes with your theme (I included little gingerbread men cookies on this board because it's holiday themed).
9. Garnishes - assuming there will be little gaps on your board, fill them in with small extras! These can be something new to the board or something you've already used. For example, I used fresh cranberries and sprigs of rosemary to garnish the board but I also used smaller groups of grapes. Get creative and use what you have to fill in the empty spaces! This will also make the board look fuller.

How to Build a Healthy Charcuterie Board

1. Plan ahead! If you're making a larger board, don't be afraid to make labels and place them on the board for you to get an idea of where you want things to go (before you start making the board and have to re-do it). This will help make sure there's room for everything you want to include.
2. Start with the big items. I start with cheeses, meats, and anything in a bowl (dips, pickles, olives, etc.). I try to place similar items on opposing ends of the board. So if I put a wheel of brie in the bottom left corner, I'll put a brick of white cheddar in the top right corner.
3. If something is big, cut a few pieces to get it started. This mainly pertains to cheeses! If you have a brick of cheddar cheese, cut a few cubes off and leave the knife close by to get it started. You want everything to be as bite-sized as possible so it's easy to eat.
4. Next is the produce. Since these foods tend to be larger in size, I'll focus on fruits and veggies next. Similar to the big items, I try to place these opposite each other on the board. If I have grapes in the upper left corner, I'll put apple or kiwi slices in the bottom left. One way to make your board stand out is to cut the produce in different shapes (or use differently shaped produce). Slice an apple into wedges and cut up some star fruit! Different shapes will keep it fun.
5. Now for the carbs. Since the bread pieces and crackers are fairly easy to place, these come next. These will go fast so I include ample on any board I make and fill in any large empty spots left on the board.
6. And more carbs. Having something sweet on the board balances it out, since most of the ingredients are on the salty side. Use candied nuts, little cookies, pieces of chocolate, etc. to add an extra dimension of flavor to the board! I usually put smaller amounts of these on the board and again, on opposite sides of the board (not next to each other).
7. Fill in with smaller items. Things like nuts and garnishes tend to be smaller in size so these are great for filling in any gaps on the board. You want the board to look full and appealing so use smaller items to do this!
8. HAVE FUN! Making a charcuterie board is meant to be fun and festive. There is no right or wrong way to do it; this is one time it's okay to play with your food and get creative! And don't be afraid to snack a little as you build 🙂

Charcuterie Board FAQ

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Rate & Review

If you made my healthy holiday charcuterie board or followed my post to make a version of your own, please rate and review my post below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!

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