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Today’s Healthy Monday tip: Make your holiday party a smashing (and sustainable!) success.

Tis the season for gathering with friends and family. If you are hosting a party, it’s important to be mindful of your carbon footprint, keep your expenses in check and be healthy! Even at these tough economic times, it’s feasible to please your guests and all eat well on a budget. One suggestion is to host a potluck, that way you aren’t stuck with purchasing and preparing everything, plus you get to share and exchange recipes with your guests.

1. Make soup. Make a trip to your local farmers markets and load up on butternut squash. It’s always a crowd pleaser and will go a long way. Here’s a very simple recipe from Epicurious, you can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth for a vegetarian-friendly dish.

2. Decorate your space. Get a fresh wreath from your local farmers market. I went to my farmers market this weekend and there were local trees and wreaths galore. It doesn’t get much better than the scent of balsam fir this time of year!

3. Drink local. The Finger Lake region in upstate New York and the eastern end of Long Island have amazing vineyards and a tasty wine selection. And if you are in California, you are certainly in luck with Napa and Sonoma Valley wines. Don’t have a local vineyard? Try organic wine! Another festive option is to get Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider which is concocted in Warwick, NY and is always a crowd pleaser . You can even order it online!

4. Avoid excess waste. Although paper and plastic plates and napkins can be more convenient, it creates unnecessary waste and you don’t need to spend extra money when you already have dishes and silverware. If you your glass supply is low, I’ve had friends use Ball Mason jars for drinks, which are eclectic and fun.

5. Save energy, be your own dishwasher. Encourage a friend to help you wash dishes post-party. I have had some of the best conversations over a sink of dirty dishes.

6. Make doggie bags. Send your guests home with leftovers so you don’t find yourself with too many irresistible goodies in your fridge the next day.

8. Get sustainable meat. If you do decide to serve meat at your holiday party, it’s a good idea to purchase it at a local farmers market so you know where it came from. I subscribe to a daily email list called Tasting Table New York, who featured Dicksons Farmstand Meats last Friday. Owner Jake Dickson distributes various cuts of meat from local family farms. He makes it more affordable by avoiding shipping, you can order online and then pick it up at drop-off locations around New York City. Subscribe to the email list now and you can get 20 percent off your purchases up until Christmas Day.

9. Serve socially conscious coffee. Maybe it’s my traditional Italian roots, but my relatives wouldn’t dream of not serving coffee and dessert after a meal. It’s best to choose Fair Trade certified java, it’s only a little more expensive and you can rest easy because your money is helping farm workers abroad get paid the proper wages.

green holidays, fair trade coffee, local food, local wine, sustainable holidays, healthy monday