During this Holiday season we decided to put together some eating tips for alternating recipes and ways to avoid the calorie laden dishes served at every holiday party or meal. These tips should not only get you through the rest of the Holiday season, but they will also serve you well at any social event or dinner party into next year.

Gratefully, there are some very easy ways to revamp your recipes and dinner party strategies so you can make better eating habits.

Healthy Holiday Eating Recipe Tips

1. Use the lower, healthier fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream.
2. Instead of half-and-half, use 1% or skim milk and plain, fat-free yogurt can take the place of a whipped topping on a dessert.
   Note about yogurt: some fat-free versions have more added sugar to make up the taste, so read labels.
3. A tip for baking: Use puréed fruits instead of oil for cakes, muffins or cookies. For example, if a cake recipe requires ½ cup of vegetable oil, use ½ cup of applesauce instead.  You’d be surprised that you get the same flavor, moisture and texture.  For those watching their cholesterol, two egg whites or ¼ cup of egg substitute can replace one whole egg.

Healthy Eating Tips for Holiday Cooking

It’s estimated that the average holiday “meal” contains 3,000 calories – more than most people should eat in an entire day. So, how can you enjoy a tasty tradition without ending up in a calorie coma?

Follow these guidelines:

The Meat

Red Meats – If red meat is going to be a part of you holiday season meal, stick to lean cuts of meat and always make sure it comes from grass–fed sources or buffalo meat, if available. Both of these red meat sources are much higher in healthy fats such as Omega-3s and will have no dangerous hormones.

• Per 100g 136 calories 5.1g fat

Turkey or Chicken – Eat the white rather than the dark meat. And don’t eat the skin. You can season your bird with celery, onions and herbs, which impart flavor to the meat even without the benefit of the skin. White meat has less than half the calories – and a quarter of the fat – of dark meat with skin.

• Chicken: Per 100g 116 calories 3.2 fat (minus skin)
• Turkey: Per 100g 119 calories 1g fat (minus skin)

 

 

Pork – Pigs tend to be reared over a long period of time and this long life increased the chances or high chemical content in the pork meat. Find organic sources when possible. For pork cut choices, stick with the lean cuts. If you have chosen a fatty cut of meat, cut off the fat before cooking. Best cut of meat will be the pork tenderloin.

• Per 100g 123 calories 4g fat

Ham – Packaged ham or the typical baked ham can contain up to 37% water and have high doses of salt and chemical flavorings. Even though ham is not typically a high fat protein source, because it is high in nitrates and sodium, ham is really meat that should only been eaten in moderation.

• Per 100g 107 calories 3.3g of fat

 

Fish – Eating fish is one of the smartest and simplest meal items you can do this for this Healthy Holiday Eating season, yet probably the most likely used. Fish offer important heart-protective vitamins and minerals and contain very little artery-dogging saturated fat. Most important, fish are the best dietary source of omega-3 fats, or healthy fat. Typically the smaller the fish the fewer chemicals and toxin levels.

• Per 100g 26- 79 calories and 0.1-2.5 of fat

The Sides

Stuffing. Cook stuffing outside the bird so it doesn’t absorb the fat drippings. Instead of adding sausage or nuts, use a recipe with raisins or other dried fruit. Replace some or all of the butter with healthy fat-free chicken broth.

Mashed potatoes. These can be another caloric pitfall, so season them with pepper and herbs and use low-fat butter, fat-free half-and-half or reduced-fat sour cream. Better yet, make your mashed cauliflower.

Sweet potatoes. A great healthy alternative for the holiday party, but not if they are loaded down with butter, brown sugar and marshmallows. Instead, mash and flavor them with orange juice, orange zest and buttermilk.

Green bean casserole. Give the traditional recipe a makeover with 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup.

The Desserts

Since desserts and sweets are at every core of the holidays and is nearly impossible to stay away from, it is vital that you watch your portion sizes. To enjoy the desserts, the best eating tip anyone can give is to eat slowly and savor the taste of your carefully chosen dessert.

9 Easy Eating Tips for Navigating the Holiday Buffet Table

Because you can’t always control how much fat and calories holiday foods contain, here are five eating tips for Healthy Holiday Eating at a holiday party:

1. Have a cup of chicken broth or light soup before going to a party.  Hot soup will take the edge off your hunger and you will find yourself choosing less food at the party or dinner.
2. Drink 1-2 glasses of water before eating.
3. Do not save your calorie intake for the main Holiday meal. Start your day with a healthy breakfast and lunch. This will get your body and metabolism in line with the rest of the day.
4. Try not to hang out near the food, which could lead to mindless grazing. Approach the buffet table with purpose.
5. If there are two plate sizes, use the dessert plate if it’s not too tiny. This will create the illusion of having more food.
6. Before you pile your plate, survey the buffet table to see what’s there. Choose only the foods that you will truly enjoy.
7. Eat slowly.
8. There’s no prestige in being a member of the clean plate club. It’s OK not to eat everything on your plate.
9. Eat your calories instead of drinking them. A glass of beer, punch or eggnog might be 200 to 500 calories. Stick to water when possible.

Bonus: Common Healthy Holiday Season party food choices include:

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  Roasted and raw veggies (be careful of cream-based dips)
• Hummus
• Shrimp cocktail
• Nuts (no more than a handful)
• Water crackers
• Melba toast
• Popcorn seasoned with herbs
• Fresh fruit,
• Dark chocolate–dipped strawberries.

Eating this holiday is not as much as eating healthy; it is about choosing healthier options and healthier recipes. Healthy Holiday Eating means, substitutions, advanced planning, portion control and most importantly – MODERATION.

Enjoy your Holiday Season!