Have you heard of “hangry”? This word came on the scene what feels like 10 years ago and I think it changed my life. What I once called low blood sugar or an inability to cope until I had food in my stomach, now has a convenient explanation, hungry-angry. “Insert food-get functional human back.” This silly truth becomes especially apropos at Christmas time. Our family does a fun, Christmas breakfast but only after we have opened stockings. Since 3 of my 5 housemates get hangry, we had to find a solution to the “stockings before fun breakfast” dilemma. I needed something festive, ridiculously simple, and filling if I was going to keep my household from dampening holiday joy with hunger pains. Enter the Christmas morning charcuterie, or snack board. Keep reading to grab ideas for healthy Christmas morning snacks that prevent the hangry from hampering your holiday.
Whether you call it a snack board, charcuterie, or simply “food I set out”, let me help you elevate your normal snacks into something extra. And the best news is that these strategies are ridiculously simple. You will be filling tummies, keeping festive, and creating an upgraded aesthetic. Below you will find a comprehensive guide to create an awesome snack board so keep reading for all the ideas. However, if you are in a hurry, you can find the condensed version here & a printable here.
Master Plan for Healthy Christmas Morning Snacks
A snack board is a serving platter filled with a variety of bite-sized foods, arranged intentionally for both beauty and functionality. You are going for easy snacking and sharing. The snack board is infinitely customizable and can fit any dietary goal or restriction, plant based, keto, vegetarian, carnivore, dessert only, and so many more.
How To Make A Healthy Christmas Morning Snack Board
For my family, I focus on the categories of fiber, fat, and protein. This general structure keeps us fueled up and also includes some seriously fun food. What food goals are right for your family? Start with that and then keep reading to make you vision a reality.
Step By Step Instructions & Ideas
- Evaluate if there are any nutritional themes, restrictions, or goals you want to follow.
- Choose Your Base
- Plan Your Food Categories
- Prepare the Foods and Organize on the Base
- Balance the Categories
- Put It All Together with Finishing Touches
Choose Your Base: What Will I Build up the Bounty Upon?
- Paper Plate
- A Holiday Shaped Platter
- Everyday Plate from Your Cupboard
- A Fancy Charger – Maybe Gold or Silver
Plan Your Food Categories: What Food Groups Will Be Featured?
- Protein
- Meat: Deli slices such as ham or turkey, salami, chicken breast chunks, Canadian Bacon,
- Eggs: Hard Boiled or Egg Bites
- Dairy: Cheese-cubed, sliced, or string-(cheddar, Colby jack, brie, goat cheese, pepper jack, gouda, smoked cheddar, fun flavored seasonal cheese), Pre-scooped yogurt cups, yogurt tubes
- Nuts: Salted, Flavored, or Plain-(Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Brazil Nuts, Peanuts)
- Seeds: Sunflower, Pumpkin
- Plant Based: Marinated Tofu, Edamame pods, Crispy Chickpeas
- Smoked Fish: Salmon, Trout
- Fat
- Nuts: see above list
- Full Fat Dairy: Cheese, yogurt
- Nut butter: Almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter
- Seed Butter: Sunbutter, Tahini
- Butter: Try something extra fun like New Zeeland butter, Irish Butter, or European Style butter
- Avocado Slices
- Dark Chocolate Squares
- Olives
- Fiber
- Whole Grain Crackers
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Whole Wheat Bread Slices
- Pita or Naan
- Dried Fruit
- Popcorn
- Fruit: Apple Slices, Pear Slices, Pomegranate Seeds, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Mini-bananas, Grapes, Honey Dew, Cantaloupe
- Vegetable: Carrot Sticks, Celery Sticks, Cucumber Slices, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bell Peppers (mini or sliced into sticks), Cherry Tomatoes, Radish Slices
- Treats: Chocolate Covered Nuts, Sweetened Nut Butter (Nutella, Chocolate Tahini, etc.), Small Gingerbread Cookies, Chocolate Squares,
- Baked Goods: Mini Muffins, Homemade Bread, Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry Orange Bread, Mini Scones
- Pre-prepared from the Deli: Lunch Meat, Marinated Olives, Seasoned Tofu, Chicken Breast Slices, Ham, Aram Sandwiches, Antipasto Items, Mozzarella Balls, Smoked Fish
Prepare the Foods and Organize on the Base: How Will I Let My Creative Side Sparkle?
- Wash and dry all fruits and vegetables.
- Cut everything down to bite sized. Make sure the proteins are cubed, the cheese is small enough to manage one handed, and any large veggies are small enough to chew easily.
- If you have really little ones, cut a few items from each category into really small pieces so there are no choking hazards.
- Did you decide to combine any of the foods? Celery and peanut butter is tasty so go ahead and spread it now. What about grinch themed fruit skewers? Put those elements together now.
- If you are including any dips, put them in small, sturdy containers then cover.
- Begin arranging your elements on your platter or board.
- Make sure your dry elements like a cracker or piece of bread are not touching wet things such as a strawberry, cucumber, or even cheese. You can create small barriers with cling wrap or just leave space.
- If you pre-sliced apples, pears, or avocados, do a quick dip in lemon water to prevent excessive browning.
- Some foods will release juices as they sit so contain things like olives, marinaded elements, and sliced berries in small dishes or in bags.
Balance the Categories: Do I Have Too Much of A Good Thing?
- Look at the platter with an eye towards balance. If using my fiber, fat and protein template, check to see if each category has at least one option.
- Try for variety without overcomplicating things. Too many different foods will make it harder to eat, and we want the snack board to be a fun, healthy Christmas morning snack adventure rather than an overwhelming meal.
- Assess if you chose the right platter. Will you be able to cover it easily and store it overnight? Or, should you move things to a bigger (or smaller) plate so it is more functional?
Put It All Together with Finishing Touches:
Keep reading and find out how to add that extra holiday magic. Styling is the last thing to add. It is not necessary, but it can be a lot of fun and keep those festive holiday feelings flowing.
How to Style Your Snack Board
The fare might be simple, but a few straight forward styling steps will take basic foods and make them holiday ready. Keep reading and grab an idea that works well for you and your crew.
- Use a Holiday Themed Plate or Board
- Use Festive colors: Red, Green, Gold, Blue or Silver
- Create Holiday Shapes and Patterns
- Organize the elements in a star, Christmas tree or a wreath.
- Use cookie cutters to turn cucumbers into stars or cheese slices into mini ginger bread people
- Combine a few fruits to make cute characters such as a banana circle + a strawberry = Santa hat. Find other great options here.
- Add Garnishes:
- Place sprigs of fresh herbs such as mint or rosemary.
- You can add edible flowers.
- Sprinkle on some pomegranate seeds around the platter.
- Line the tray with a holiday themed cloth or napkin.
- Incorporate simple bowls in festive colors such as green, red, or metallic. Even simple glass bowls will “sparkle” and give off that festive vibe.
- Separate some of the different snacks with festive cupcake liners. If you don’t want to buy Christmas themed liners, purchase plain colors and use the liners that fit your color scheme.
- Use those fancy toothpicks that kids love so much. You can use find toothpicks with shapes on the ends, or simply use red and green from the multicolor pack.
Stupid Simple Hacks for Your Own Healthy Christmas Morning Snacks
By Christmas Eve, parents are about out of steam. If you are on your very last leg, these ideas make a snack board possible because they are just that easy.
- You can buy all of the elements for your snack board at the grocery store, local deli, or bakery instead of making them yourself.
- Do not wash things yourself. Buy them from the prepared section of the grocery store.
- Take the elements from pre-made fruit or veggie trays and transfer them to your holiday themed plate.
- Go to a local bakery and pick up something you will not have to alter.
- Use only red and green fruits and veggies.
- Utilize a super festive plate and let that be the extent of your styling.
- Choose a simple color scheme or pattern idea and let that guide you:
- Keeping a consistent color scheme will make your healthy Christmas morning snacks look good without you needing to add a lot of thought.
- You can also choose a shape and stay with that. Like the Christmas star? Choose a star plate, line it with a star themed napkin, and lay the foods out in a star pattern (following the shape of the plate.)
- Keep the food placement simple:
- Arrange each food in its own row
- Follow the outline of your holiday platter .
- Discard any pattern and place things where they work
- Choose Fewer Elements
- If you are short on time or energy, don’t fill the snack board to bursting. Choose apple slices, carrot sticks, and roasted almonds. Done. Let that be all.
- Use Small Dishes
- Place everything in a separate dish and then put those on your holiday platter.
- Buy holiday themed snacks and elements.
- Get star shaped crackers.
- Purchase holiday snack mix.
- Sprinkle individually wrapped candy canes around.
- Purchase all pre-made snacks. Simply go to the store, pick up healthy snacks and then place them on your holiday platter.
- Granola bars
- Individual nut packs
- Healthy Jerky Sticks
- Pre-packaged, single serve veggies
- Apple slices in bags
- Freeze dried fruit
- String Cheese
The suggested timeline for preparing your snack board begins the night before Christmas. Prep all the food by washing, drying, slicing and dicing. After that, go ahead and assemble everything perishable on your platter. When Christmas morning arrives, pull the beautifully festive snack tray out of the fridge. Add any crackers or bread you want to include and that’s it! Lay the tray somewhere that everyone can snack on as the kids start spreading the Christmas magic all around.
As parents, we have planned and prepped for Christmas for weeks if not months by the time Christmas Eve rolls around. Give your family one last gift and prepare a board that is full of healthy Christmas morning snacks. The hangry will stay away and everyone can settle in and focus on the good stuff, time together. If you are looking for more Christmas stress busters, check out my articles on emotional expression, gratitude, and anxiety relief that empower families to have the best holiday yet. Feel free to add a comment below and let me know what Christmas morning hacks you use to keep the special day hangry free and happy.
Final Recap and Checklist
- Choose your base:
- Holiday plate, paper plate, or fancy charger.
- Select your food categories (example: fiber, fat, protein):
- Protein: Deli meats, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts.
- Fat: Cheese, nuts, nut butters, avocado, olives, dark chocolate.
- Fiber: Whole grain crackers, fruit, veggies, dried fruit, popcorn.
- More Ideas Here
- Prepare the food:
- Wash and dry fruits and vegetables.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces (cheese, veggies, fruits).
- Prepare dips and pre-sliced items if needed.
- Balance your categories:
- Make sure there’s a balance of protein, fat, and fiber.
- Avoid overcrowding your board.
- Style your board:
- Use festive colors (red, green, gold) and holiday-themed elements (shaped foods, garnishes like rosemary, pomegranate seeds).
- Organize the food in creative patterns (stars, trees, wreaths).
- Find More Ideas
- Simple hacks for a stress-free snack board:
- Buy pre-made elements (deli meats, cheeses, crackers, fruit trays).
- Use a fun holiday plate to elevate your snacks instantly without any fuss.
- Printables: Snack Board Guide & Foods For Snack Board