Nutrition

Healthy Holiday Meal Makeover

You Can Eat Healthy During the Holidays!

Try These Tips You Can Count On

Enjoy all those social get-togethers. But the more social events you go to and the more you eat. . . well, you know what can happen!

Eat a small snack before heading for that party (small amount of low fat cheese or peanut butter and crackers, ½ c low fat milk)
Try to stay on schedule with your meals (we tend to overeat when hungry)
Decide prior to going to the party how much you will eat (visualize!)
Remind yourself of your long-term health goals. Where will you be in 2 or 5 years with your health?
Try using smaller plates, small silverware (use a long, iced tea teaspoon when eating ice cream). Think small! Less will seem like more!
Eat more veggies
With each bite, try dipping tines of fork in dressing, then spear salad pieces (less calories than pouring dressing on salad or dipping each forkful of salad into dressing)
Drink more water
Do more talking and socializing, less eating
Share the entrée with a friend and get two salads—cuts the cost and calories in half
Take smaller portions
Try to eat a variety of foods. You'll feel better! (eg small amounts of a starch, meat/protein, fruit, and veggies instead of just nuts, fried foods, sweets, and alcohol)
Eat small bites! Slow Down!
Choose less fatty, breaded, and sweet foods
Eat small amounts of starch foods (bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, corn, peas)
Eat/drink small amounts of fruit/juice (lots of calories)
Drink less alcohol
Drink unsweetened beverages. Drink less caffeinated beverages
If you do eat sweets, eat less, less often, or maybe just one forkful
Instead of a rich chocolate or cheesecake dessert (can be nearly 1,000 calories a slice!), try several vanilla wafers, ginger snaps, animal crackers, or graham crackers (fewer calories, more of them, and still sweet), or a SMALL piece of chocolate
Try small “Dixie cup” portions of ice cream or low fat ice cream, easier to limit than a half gallon container of ice cream. Again, think small!
Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Use less fat (1/3-1/2 less), try using fruit puree as a fat substitute, use less sugar or a sugar substitute
Try low fat/fat free dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, whipping cream, half and half)
If you use canned soup in a recipe, select products that are lower in fat, sodium, and calories (eg Healthy Choice/Healthy Request brands)
Use less meat, more vegetables (cooked or raw, eg tomatoes, broccoli, squash, spinach, onions, mushrooms, green beans, etc)

Holiday Meal Makeover

Before ( Traditional Menu ) Calories Fat

Cheese & Crackers (1 oz & 4-6 ea) 114 + 80 10

Nuts (2 T) 106 9

Roasted Turkey (4 oz) 225 8

Beef Roast (4 oz lean) 274 16

Ham (4 oz lean + fat) 275 19

Dressing (1/2 c) 107 3

Sweet Potato Casserole (3/4 c) 165 5

Green Bean Casserole (3/4 c) 82 5

Roll and Margarine (1 ea) 125 5

Pecan Pie (1/12 pie) 314 17

Chess Pie (1/12 pie) 340 17

Wine (3 1/2 oz) 73 -

Water/Tea with Lemon/Coffee - -

_____________

Total 2280 114 g

After ( Lower Calorie Menu )

Shrimp (8 ea with lemon/cocktail sauce) 60 1

Roasted Turkey (4-5 oz) 225 8

Dressing (1/4 c) 53 1

Fall Vegetable Medley (1/2 c) 76 5

Acorn Squash with Pineapple (1/2 c) 47 0

Roll (1 ea) 80 1

Ambrosia (1/2 c) 72 1

Water/Tea with Lemon/Coffee - -

____________

Total 613 17 g