Cooking Lower Fat Holiday Meals For Your Family

Enjoy Holiday Food Without the Weight Gain

by Karen Jashinsky

The holidays usually mean lots of snacking and munching on "not so good for you" things that might lurk in your Pumpkin pie, stuffing, eggnog, desserts, and more. Holiday time doesn't have to equal weight gain. Lucky for you and your family, there are ways to still enjoy some of your favorite foods if you just apply a little health conscious creativity.

Get the Calories Before They Get You

Baked goods are the cornerstone of a great Holiday meal, but many recipes include ingredients that can dramatically increase the fat and calorie count in a particular item. With the following healthy substitutions, your family and friends won't even know the difference!

Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in baked goods.

Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil. If a recipe calls for a cup of oil, use 3 quareters or 2 thirds of a cup instead. If making a sweet bread or cake, cut the oil in half and replace it with pureed plums or prunes, mashed banana, applesauce, or canned pumpkin. Use Cooking spray or nonstick pans instead of greasing the dish or pan with butter or oil.

Eggs

Instead of one large egg, try two large egg whites. If a recipe calls for two or more eggs, you can use one whole egg and increase the egg whites.

Milk

Use skim milk or reduced fat milk. If baking, use light cream.

Cream Cheese

Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth. Keep in mind, nonfat cream cheese will get very "runny" in cake frostings and dips.

Sour Cream

When baking, use one cup of plain low-fat yogurt instead of one cup of sour cream. If you're baking something sweet, you can use nonfat sour cream.

Nuts

If you add nuts to a recipe, reduce the quantity and make sure to toast them. This helps bring out the flavor with fewer calories.

Flour

When cooking with all-purpose flour, use half of the usual amount. Then complete the recipe with whole-wheat flour, an excellent source of fiber. (If the flavor seems a little strong, you can cut back a bit on the whole-wheat flour.)

Portion Control. Period. Just because you've substituted healthier ingredients doesn't mean you can indulge in huge portions of cake or 5 pieces of bread. Usually a fist or palm is a good gauge of a proper serving.

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Healthier

Don't leave the food sitting in front of you when the meal is over. Even better, you can leave it in the kitchen and serve buffet style so everyone has to get up to get more. It'll make everyone think twice before going for seconds!

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

It may seem like a no-brainer, but don't forget to exercise during the holidays! We're not necessarily saying calisthenics around the dining room table. Take a walk around the block after dinner. Remember, it takes hours of walking to burn off one piece of cake. And, don't leave the kids behind. Take the whole family. Make it a game or just use the time to talk, bond, and make your Holiday that much more special.