Eating healthfully on Christmas doesn’t mean you need to avoid holiday food fare. Food often takes center stage today, causing fear of weight gain for many people. With some planning, fitting holiday treats into a healthful eating plan is easy.
You can eat smaller portions, replace high-calorie foods with low-fat options or slightly adjust recipes. By swapping out a few ingredients, even in Mom’s classic dishes, you can reduce fat and calories without sacrificing taste.
Here are some quick tips to help turn your holiday recipes into guilt-free pleasures:
- Use two egg whites in place of one egg.
- Try dried fruit instead of nuts.
- Use three tablespoons of cocoa powder and one tablespoon of oil in place of baking chocolate.
- Replace cream or whipping cream with evaporated skim milk.
- Try substituting an equal amount of applesauce for at least half the oil, margarine or butter in muffins and quick breads like banana bread.
- For dips, sauces and pie toppings, use non-fat yogurt or fat-free sour cream.
- Top casseroles with almonds instead of fried onion rings.
- Choose reduced-fat cheeses for salads and casseroles.
Subtle modifications can improve your recipe’s nutrition content without compromising taste.
Merry Christmas!
Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team
