Healthier Holiday Meals
We're in the final stretch! With the holiday season upon us,
we have brought you a round-up of some new waist-watching tips.
Making these changes and substitutions in your holiday dining will
go a long way in helping you have a healthier season. Plus, when
you find out how easy these tactics are, why not make them
permanent changes? These are the kinds of changes we can stick to,
and if we do, we'll reap significant results in the long run. Good
luck and happy holidays!
- Grains are Good
Go for whole grains. Choose whole wheat breading, rolls, and
bread for sandwiches; choose wild rice instead of using the old
standby, white rice. Any type of white bread is high in refined
sugar (which means more calories); if you still crave it, choose
a "lite" or diet version. Choosing wheat instead of white may
even help you feel fuller longer, because white bread actually
digests faster than whole grain breads, which leads you to
feeling hungry earlier.
- Getting Steamy
Serve steamed vegetables instead of heavy casseroles. Use herbs
and spices as seasonings instead of loading them with butter,
oil or cheese. Reduce the amount of oil you use if you sauté
them. Serve raw veggies and low-fat dip as appetizers instead of
meat and cheese crackers or finger sandwiches.
- Fruit is Fabulous
Instead of a cornucopia of pies and cakes lining your dessert
table, offer fruit-based finishers like fondue, fruit cocktail,
yogurt parfaits, and fresh fruit. Not only will this reduce the
fat and calorie content of your meal's finale, guests will also
find fruit more refreshing than sweets. After all, usually by
dessert, you're eating out of sheer habit anyway, not from
hunger, so why "waist" the calories?
- Trim Up that Turkey
If you're the one preparing the turkey, why not cook the
stuffing separate from the turkey? You will reduce its fat
content by preventing the fat from the turkey soaking into the
dressing. Use less butter or margarine when you're preparing the
stuffing. Don't forget to skim the fat off of the gravy with a
gravy separator or by refrigerating it. After you've tucked that
napkin into your shirt collar, be sure to trim the skin off your
turkey and you'll spare yourself some fat. Let your uncles fight
over that drumstick; choose light meat rather than dark meat and
you'll save quite a few calories.
- Powder Your ... Dessert?
Got milk? Trade it in for the powdered variety and save yourself
lots of fats and calories in your baking. A site visitor once
wrote in to suggest that using evaporated skim milk in her
favorite recipes instead of cream or milk has been one of the
changes that has led her to an 80 pound weight loss! Add equal
parts water to replace milk or use it straight from the can as a
substitute in recipes calling for heavy cream.
- Ease Up on Imbibing
Take it easy on the adult beverages. You don't have to swear off
alcohol entirely, but moderation is definitely key. Not only are
alcoholic drinks calorie-heavy, they also increase your
appetite. Plus, as anyone whose had a few too many can attest
to, they lower your self-control. Even if you were completely
focused on not overeating when you arrived, after you've downed
a few cocktails, there may be no stopping you! So, if you're
going to imbibe, make it a one-off. To save calories, choose a
wine spritzer or a light beer.
- Super Smart Sundaes
When making sundaes as desserts or treats for the kids, choose
sugar free ice cream or reduced- or non-fat frozen yogurt.
Non-fat, reduced-calorie whipped topping is almost identical in
flavor and texture to its higher-calorie counterpart. Try
topping sundaes with all fruit spread rather than chocolate or
caramel syrup. If portions tend to get out of control, serve
less ice cream in smaller dishes.
- Be a "Veggie" Temp
Go "veggie" for a little while. If you're still hungry after the
main course, go for seconds, but choose side dishes, rather than
meat- or bread-based dishes. Select those dishes comprised of
mainly vegetables. Try to choose healthier options like steamed
or boiled veggies instead of casseroles or those topped off with
butter or cheese. By stocking up on healthier dishes when you go
for your second round instead of the entrée, you'll take in
fewer extra calories and fat and you'll be adding more fiber.
Another alternative is to get up and get your mind off eating.
By doing so, you may find you're not still hungry after all, and
forgo seconds entirely.
- Make Smart Substitutions
Put to use some fat-fighting baking substitutions: use 3
tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to replace 1 ounce of
unsweetened chocolate in desserts; crushed graham crackers are a
healthier alternative to pie crusts; replace 1 egg with 2 egg
whites or ¼ cup of egg substitute; replace half of the oil in
dessert recipes with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce;
use reduced- or non-fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream on
pies.
- Focus on Your Family
Holidays are really about getting together with family and
enjoying your time with them, right? Don't rush your meal. Savor
the flavor and texture of each dish and take small bites. Don't
worry about measuring portion sizes down to the ounce today.
Allow yourself to relax and enjoy the day. Plus, it takes 20
minutes for your brain to realize that you're full, so taking it
slow will help prevent you from overeating. Eat slowly and enjoy
the company.
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