Healthy Holiday Alternatives
- December 01, 2011
- |
- Nutrition Blog
By: Amalia Krantz, RD
The holidays are a great time to be together with family and friends. It is also a time to enjoy all the delicious dishes and traditional foods that are only cooked but a few times a year. Healthy eating during the holidays can be challenging, especially when you are looking forward to enjoying your favorite dishes. However, there are ways to reduce the fat and calorie count in many of these foods without sacrificing flavor. Share the following tips with family and friends so you can all celebrate the gift of health at your holiday get-together. Not only will you feel better after eating these nutrient packed dishes, but you will also thank yourself for thinking ahead of the game and not making weight gain a holiday tradition as well.
Appetizers
Appetizers, although small by nature, can easily pack a calorie punch. Swap cheese and crackers, which are high in fat and sodium, for a piece of bruschetta with fresh vegetable toppings (try tomato and basil or roasted red pepper). Steer clear of any pastry based appetizers, such as pigs in a blanket or quiches, and fill up your plate instead with fresh or roasted veggies and low fat yogurt or hummus dips. To add some heart healthy fats, roast almonds or pecans with olive oil and a little salt. The protein and fat in a small serving of nuts also helps decrease hunger levels before the main meal.
Main Dishes
Soups are a great way to add variety and flavor to your holiday meal with minimal calories. Having a soup course before dinner tends to fill you up and makes you less likely to overindulge at dinner. Make sure the soup is broth-based rather than cream-based. Pureed vegetable soups that include butternut squash, pumpkin, or tomato rely on vegetables for their creaminess and so very little if any additional cream needs to be used. They are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber for added health benefits.
Here are a few ways to transform some of the most traditional holiday dishes (and ones that are traditionally calorie dense) to lighter, more nutritious fare.
- Candied sweet potatoes – this dish is typically filled with sugar and butter. Instead try tossing root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips, with a little extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, and flavors like pumpkin pie spice and lemon and orange zests to allow the natural sweetness of the vegetables to shine through.
- Green bean casserole – loaded with fat and sodium. Replace with steamed or sautéed green beans tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and toasted almonds.
- Stuffing – instead of using butter and white bread, exchange most of the butter with low sodium chicken stock and switch to whole grain bread. Change up your grains and try using brown and wild rice or wheat berries instead. Add extra vegetables like chopped celery or mushrooms, and fresh herbs to flavor the dish. See this recipe for Wheatberry Stuffing with Apricots from GoodHousekeeping.com http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/wheatberry-stuffing-apricots-1150
- Mashed potatoes – typically a fat overload. Mashed potatoes can be made just as creamy by using skim milk and a small amount of chicken stock or olive oil. Add roasted mashed cauliflower to add flavor and cut down on the calories.
- Skip biscuits and use whole wheat rolls instead. Or, you may choose to skip the bread altogether.
- Add more veggies and salads – Roasted brussels sprouts and carrots and sautéed kale or spinach are all great choices. Add fresh fruit in season like apples, oranges, pomegranates, or pears to salads.
Desserts
- Instead of pies or cakes, try poached fruit with low fat ice cream
- Pumpkin custards skip the crust, which contains most of the fat in a traditional pie
- Homemade hot chocolate with skim milk – use half the amount of sugar and skip the whipped cream
Enjoy your holiday meal!