Lightening up your holiday menu

The past few weeks we’ve talked about how to avoid the holiday dieting pitfalls when attending a party or feast at someone’s home.  Well, what about when you are hosting the party or feast?  There are a number of ways to make your holiday menu a bit healthier, without sacrificing flavor.  Chances are your guests won’t even know the difference.

1. Use fat-free sour cream anytime a recipe calls for regular sour cream.  This trick works for dips, cookies and even potatoes.
2. When making mashed potatoes or rice, use fat-free, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.  This adds a lot of flavor, so you can use less butter, milk and salt.
3. Instead of smothering vegetables in butter or cream sauces, roast them in a small amount of olive oil and add various herbs.  This helps to bring out the vegetables natural flavors
4. Use skim milk as a substitute for whole or 2% milk.  When a recipe calls for evaporated milk, use evaporated skim milk.
5. If making pies for dessert, use one crust instead of two.  Leave the top of the pie open, or add a streusel topping instead.
6. Serve a lean beef or pork tenderloin for your main entrée.  These cuts of meat have a lot less fat, saturated fat and sodium then beef roasts or ham.
7. Use a sugar substitute for baking.  These usually call for half of the amount of regular sugar.  Also try substituting half applesauce for the butter or margarine in a recipe.  For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, then you would use ½ cup of butter and ½ cup of applesauce.  This not only saves calories and fat, but helps to produce a very moist finished product.
8. When a dish calls for cheese, use a part-skim variety.  Use can try this tip in everything from cheesecake, lasagna or dips.
9. If serving cheese and crackers, use a lighter cheese.   Cabot makes a couple of delicious varieties.  Also include whole wheat crackers and add fresh fruit to the plate.
10. Try to avoid serving heavy beverages, such as eggnog or other creamy drinks.  Not only are they loaded with calories and fat, but they will fill up your guests, not leaving room for all of the delicious food you spent hours preparing.  Offer a few lighter varieties such as white wine, light beer or spiced apple cider.

Of course, if many of your recipes are handed down generation after generation, it may be hard to get your family to convert to the new, healthier menu.  Remember, your health is important every day of the year, and a diet isn’t a diet…it’s a lifestyle.  Most people only gain 1-2 pounds over the holiday season, but unfortunately they don’t lose that weight after the holidays are over.  Over 10 years, that could add up to a 10-20 pound weight gain!  This year, give the gift of a healthier meal to your loved ones.   Happy Holidays!

Heather Neely, RD
CNY Healing Arts Center
Call me at 315.671.5755
Or e-mail me